Using A Condom Vs Not Using A Condom – TRUST

The use of a condom has nothing to do with trust. The alarming rate at which HIV and Aids is spreading should create enough concern. Rather it’s about health and the prevention of unwanted pregnancies. Most couples get into the habit of having sex within the first few weeks of their relationship. Certainly in this stage you’re still getting to know each other in more ways than one. But a child coming into the picture at this stage is not what you want. It is for this reason then that the use of a condom is important.

The following stats indicate the use of condoms in South Africa:

• According to a survey conducted in 2012, among men aged between 25 and 49, condom use fell to 36.1%, down from 44.1% over the same period. Women also reported using condoms less.
• The survey found just over two-thirds (67.5%) of young men aged between 15 and 24 reported using condoms at their last sexual encounter in 2012, down from 85.2% in 2008.
• Overall, 52.9% of the household survey participants said they had never used condoms.
• The proportion of people reporting multiple sexual partners had increased
• Almost a quarter (23.1%) of men aged between 15 and 49 said they had multiple sexual partners in 2012, up from 19.3% in 2008. Just more than 5% of women in the same age group said they had more than one sexual partner. That was up from 3.7% in 2008.

The results from the 2009 Communication Survey in South Africa indicates:

• Only 15 % of married men and women reported use of condoms at last sex as compared to 74-83 % of men and 56-66 % of women with other partners (casual, friends and one-night encounters).
• Condom use increased with exposure to more communication programmes. For instance, of those not exposed to communication programmes only 33% used condoms, while 50% of those who were exposed to all 11 programmes used condoms.

The use of a condom has nothing to do with trust. The alarming rate at which HIV and Aids is spreading should create enough concern. Rather it’s about health and the prevention of unwanted pregnancies. Most couples get into the habit of having sex within the first few weeks of their relationship. Certainly in this stage you’re still getting to know each other in more ways than one. But a child coming into the picture at this stage is not what you want. It is for this reason then that the use of a condom is important.

The issue of trust within a new relationship plays the biggest role here more than ever. Because the relationship is still new and you both come from different backgrounds, you don’t know the sexual history of your lover. This is where the dreaded conversation has to be had where you both open up to each other concerning past experiences and sexual history. As two consenting adults, it is the duty of both of you to make sure that you protect each other.

It also helps that condoms don’t cost anything. Therefore your partner cannot say that using condoms is costly. If you are in the later stages of the relationship and you have both come to the decision that you want to conceive, it’s advisable to get tested together before you start trying for a child.

Source: COMBAT HIV AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES