It’s the month of love. Sexual tension is running high after all that time spent locked away and many people have certainly been getting their sexual healing on.
However, the City of Cape Town is concerned, as all good parents are, about safe sex practices.
According to the City, last year the use of male condoms dropped to half the usage of the years before – from 30.6 million to 16 085 200.
For the female condoms, the drop was from 954 599 to 305 400.
So, why was there such a decline in opting for free condoms last year?
Well, it’s largely linked to the very same reason Community Service and Health members are concerned with making sure that people use the free rubber lovers this year (AKA prophylactics) – people were locked away. Hence, drops would be apparent.
According to Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross:
“The reduced take-up of the condoms could be attributed to people staying at home, or making fewer visits to clinics during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
This year, the challenge for the month of love and all-year-round is to practice self-love in the form of taking the necessary precautions with regards to reproductive well being, according to van der Ross.
The next challenge is the rise in Sexually Transmitted Infections or STIs in the City of Cape Town. It’s the gift no one wants to give or receive during the month of love, or ever for that matter, and can be potentially life-threatening when worse comes to worst and painful at best. STI’s can also happen even if you only have sex once with an infected partner.
The City of Cape Town has a lot of awesome services to protect us, including the City clinics that provide services and medication free of charge, the free contraceptives like male and female condoms and youth-related health services that City clinics offer during after-school hours.
Also read:
Looks like the pandemic has affected more than just our health, but condom sales too
Picture: Pexels/ Cottonbro