Where are the condoms ???

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum members,

Greetings.

It has been interesting and a good learning experience to read about the

various issues raised, discussed and debated on this forum.

SOS Foundation has been carrying out interventions for the women in sex

work and truckers over the years. But it has been very traumatic for us

and the community wherein after all the inputs, the very basic tool

required for having an effective intervention 'THE CONDOMS' just doesn't

seem to come and made available for the community. It is since last 2 years

that the condom supply has just not been there and whatever little comes

is too erratic irregular and little.

One wonders that when our discussions over this forum have ranged from

funding to human rights , vaccines to marriages , VCT to number of infected

We have been neglecting the very necessary component to run any effective

intervention especially, in so many of the target populations .

The efforts put in over these years, to scale up the projects, improve the

condom uptake and utilization, which in itself is one of the most difficult

part of any intervention, seems to be going down in priorities at-least on

the field realities.

All projects talk about condoms as one of the most important strategies in

their intervention, but if the condoms are not available then what kind of

a project are we carrying out , It is like a war where soldiers are

without bullets and bombs. The soldiers would succumb eventually, this is

a big failure. We at-least feel that the project is totally ineffective as

we do not have the condom supply as required by us.All the efforts put in by

us over a decade are going down the drain.

It has been 2 years now that this situation seems to exist in our region.(

may be else where too) All the possible efforts liaison and advocacy has

been done with the concerned agencies All in vain.

We appeal to this forum of concerned people to inform us as to how to

improve the situation and stream- line this erratic , irregular and non

availability of condoms in the interventions.

Condoms and funds is what some organizations like ours have been asking

but today I think it is easier to get funds but not condoms, just forget it

I think we need not debate on the number of HIV infected but put our issues

straight and do simple things first, where are the condoms ???

Dr Ramesh Goud

SOS Foundation

Umiya Apartment

Canada Corner

Nasik 422005, Maharashtra State. INDIA

Tel : (0253) 2578793 /2570707

E-mail: <sosfoundation@...>

____________________________