Awareness drive on female condoms begins

HLL Lifecare Ltd launched a week-long programme to mark World Female Condom Day being observed for the first time on Wednesday.

A half-day workshop on ‘Emerging Trends in Contraception’ was held at the IMA House in association with the District Medical Office and the National Rural Health Mission on Wednesday.

The programme aims to create awareness on female condoms which has the potential to revolutionise safer sex and prevent sexually-tranmitted diseases.

“Road-shows and special stalls will be put up. Leaflets will be distributed at the General Hospital on Thursday also. They will be put up at Cochin Special Economic Zone on Friday. We also plan to put up a stall at the Sunrise Hospital as part of the week-long observation,” said Sajeev Joseph, unit chief, HLL Lifecare, Kakkanad factory.

A seminar on ‘Women empowerment through barrier contraceptives’ will be held for women employees of CSEZ on September 15. On September 17, a road show with mobile hoarding and talking monkey will be flagged off which will conclude the next day, after covering 10 centres to wind up the week-long celebrations

HLL has its female condom assembling facility at the CSEZ, Kakkanad.

“Currently the annual capacity of Kochi factory is 7.5 million pieces and we will be adding another 25 million by 2013. We also export female condoms to the SAARC markets,” said HLL chairman and managing director M Ayyappan.

HLL has recently developed a new female condom based on natural latex formulation on which studies are being conducted and is expected to be launched in early 2013.