16 May 2018

In a bid to promote safe sex, Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) has introduced a BIUST-branded male condom.

In an interview with BOPA, Mr Edmond Koboyankwe, a nurse at the university clinic, said his department realised that condom uptake was low at BIUST clinic, leading to the high number of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies amongst students.

Speaking during a BONELA and Men for Health Expo, Mr Koboyankwe said the department therefore decided to come up with BIUST-branded condoms with some scented while others are dotted.

“It seems like our clients do not prefer the usual male condom, which is widely provided by government health facilities, hence we came up with the idea of branding condoms that we avail at our clinic,” he said.

He said that the clinic would not do away with the ones that had always been provided because the scented or dotted ones may not agree with some people .

Mr Koboyankwe said it had been three weeks since the introduction of the new condoms, but the uptake was impressive.

He expressed hope that the new development would help reduce the number of STI cases and unplanned pregnancies amongst the students.

Meanwhile, Mr Koboyankwe said the clinic also performed  HIV testing, adding that the numbers of students who test for HIV were impressive.

The target is to test all students.

He urged students to keep testing for HIV, encouraging them to give their health first priority, adding that there was nothing sadder than acquiring a degree, getting a high paying job only to die due to negligence of one’s health.

The BIUST Clinic is fully fledged, providing all other services  including clinical consultations, dispensary, HIV/AIDS counselling and testing, sexual reproduction health services such as family planning, ante natal care, management of medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy, psychological support, travel advices in cases of Malaria prophylaxis, minor surgical procedures and health promotion activities. Ends