The Public Health Implications of recycled Condoms

The Public Health Implications of recycled condoms

Getting back to the story of recycled condoms in Isiolo, let us look at the Public Health issues that surround this act. I would be almost certain to guess that this is an act which is practiced by people in other areas within the country.

But has any one of us dissected the public health issues around this act which is close to be referred to as heinous if not for the fact that it is an act of desperation of a people who are so aware of the fact that they need to protect themselves against any Sexually Transmitted Infection?

In rare occasion are condoms recycled for other purposes but not for sexual intercourse. China recycles them to be used as hair bands, a practiced rarely practiced.

As I had mentioned this just affirmed how we have not prioritized preventive medicine. There is no way we can claim victory against HIV/AIDS if our people do not have the condoms to protect themselves. The problems facing availability of condoms are so dire. That we have to wait for UNFPs donation is a laughable shame. Their scarcity has seen private enterprises like pubs and supermarkets take advantage of this to sell a pack of condoms for as high as Ksh. 100.

A condom is a thin sheath made of latex (a type of rubber) worn by either a man or a woman before intercourse as a contraceptive. It is a flexible, greasy rubber that becomes larger and soft.

This just means that recycling would alter the original configuration of the condom thus dilute their purpose. The lubrication which is meant to convenience sexual intercourse shall not be any more. Latex itself is not recyclable.

As an inquisition, how many female condoms were donated? What is even the rate of awareness of female condom use amongst our mothers? It would be a case of misplaced priorities to put a lot of emphasis on male condoms and become oblivious of the female ones. Others would call this gender bias. It is worth noting that they should not be used at the same time because they can get stuck together to cause one of the other to slip during intercourse, making them ineffective.

The people were recycling the condoms using water, whose purity was obviously in doubt. The newly made condoms are sterile. Therefore their washing subjects them to micro-organisms like bacteria and viruses which they are meant to protect us from.

The fact that the condoms get dried on thorns can’t go unnoticed. It is really ridiculous not to expect them to be prickled upon.

Most of us may be tempted to re-use condoms just because there is no ejaculation.

This whole issue of condom recycling brings into question the matter of condom disposal. I remember when I was in a sex education forum in Kajiado last year, one of the participants asked us who used dispose of the condoms after use-the man or the woman?- She noted that this was in itself an area of conflict amongst certain people thus making them not use condoms at all. Stakeholders must do their level best to create awareness on there and other issues because some people might be recycling, not because they have limited supply but because they are not aware it is wrong.

Chrispory Juma Ombuya.

Final-Year Environmental Health student of Moi University, School of Public Health.

Our brothers and sisters in uniform must not disregard the law

Our brothers and sisters in uniform must not disregard the law

The beauty with the law is that it makes every citizen a subject, inspite of one’s social and political standing. It privileges everyone to rights and freedoms that must be protected at all times. It is for this purpose that it must be safeguarded. That is why there is the judicial arm of the government. The police (Prisons, GSU and Kenya Police) are mandated with protection of the law and ensuring that no one undermines it and infringes on the rights and freedoms of others.

This does not put them anywhere above the law. Neither does it exempt them from any responsibility of a normal citizen of this country. As a matter of fact, good custodians of the law put the people they protect first.

The latest event of how prison wardens stormed Kakamega General Hospital and terrorized the guards and brought activities at the hospital to a near standstill is just one of the many instances of oppression by our beloved police officers we meet in our day to day activities.

Fact of the matter is that our police officers have always thought that they are so above the law that their welfare comes first in the public domain. Maybe it is supposed to be like that, it is the public which is not getting it. Maybe there is a section of the constitution that gives them an edge when it comes to respect for simple civil ethics. Someone needs to come clear on this.

They do believe they come first in everything. They do not line up in banks or at any event. Infact they also ensure their relatives do not line up. To instill fear amongst disgruntled citizens, some come with guns. Who will dare raise a hand when there is a gun around? In the present state, one may even be shot dead and made to look like a thug. How are their vehicles driven on our roads? On high speed, they pass traffic police unchecked, infact, accompanied by a salute.

Examples abound and the fact of the matter is that the public is not happy with this at all. Infact, this bullying tendency has just aggravated public hatred for an arm of the government that seriously needs radical surgery to be totally embraced by the people.

We hope for a police force that considers itself a servant of the people, that does not undermine them and that which considers itself an equal of the people it protects. The law protects all of us.

If the wardens behaved like in public, who can guess what our prisoners go through in those maximum security penal facilities? God protect me, I don’t find myself there.

We pray that the police reforms move swiftly fact. We can’t achieve this if we continue with this culture of denial that has always characterized our leaders while defending our security operatives. We must admit that something is wrong with our society and work together to bring it back to sanity. Kenyans will never reap the full benefits of the new constitution if the people mandated to protect their rights, freedoms and autonomy are not reformed. We pray for flexibility over this.

Chrispory Juma Ombuya,

Final-year student of Environmental Health, Moi University.