Evaluation of uptake and utilization of female condoms among women in Pune, India

Unintended pregnancies,sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV remain major personal and publichealth issues not only in India but the world although their relativepriorities vary from region to region. Barrier contraceptives which includemale and female condom have the potential to simultaneously avert all of theseand thus would be the ideal multipurpose technology (MPT) to improvereproductive health. Male condoms have been widely promoted  and theircorrect and consistent use can also protect women against HIV, STIs andunintended pregnancies, however its use requires cooperation of the malepartner and females do not have much control over its use. In India, malecondoms are widely available and are inexpensive yet they are used by only 5%of the population. Female condoms have been available in India for quite sometime however they are known to only to minority. Very few studies haveexamined the acceptability of female condoms in India and no study has yetexplored its uptake, acceptability and utilization as a spacing technologywhere there is a huge unmet need of contraception which is addressed in thisproposal.