What Works for Women and Girls

condom if it gives them more pleasure than does use of the male condom and some men mayprefer not being responsible for HIV protection” (Agha, 2001: 55). Programs must pay moreattention to increasing access to the female condom, along with education about proper use.“As a currently available device that women might use to protect themselves against HIV, thefemale condom stands alone” (Barbosa et al., 2007: 261).Condom use is a critical component to HIV prevention (Cohen, 2002 cited in Feldblum etal., 2003) and remains the best method of protection for women. Interventions that increasecondom availability and use are urgently needed to prevent HIV among women and girls.Additional condom promotion interventions are needed to address barriers (socio-cultural,legal and policy, economic and financial, and structural) faced by different groups of womensuch as youth, married women, discordant couples, sex workers, and women drug users,among others.What Works—Prevention for Women: Male and Female Condom Use1. Consistent use of male condoms can reduce the chances of HIV acquisition by morethan 95%.2. The ability of the female condom to prevent HIV transmission is likely similar to thatof the male condom.Promising Strategies:3. Expanding distribution of female condoms may increase female condom use, thusincreasing the number of protected sex acts and preventing HIV acquisition andtransmission.4. Promoting the dual use of condoms as a contraceptive as well as for HIV preventionmay make use more acceptable and easier to negotiate.5. Providing VCT along with condom negotiation skills may improve condom use bymarried women.6. Promoting acceptability of condom use by both women and men as the norm in sexualintercourse, rather than just for use by sex workers and their clients, can decreasenational HIV prevalence rates.7. Increasing couple communication about HIV risk can increase preventive behaviors,including condom use.8. Peer education for women can increase condom use.9. Promoting pleasure in male and female condom use can increase the practice of safersex.WHAT WORKS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS53