Despite the bad news about teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, the purchase of condoms continues to confound many teenagers among the youth of Kivuruga sector in Gakenke district.
In a min survey in Kivuruga sector in Gakenke district done by this website, it was established that youth have a common view that teenage girls get swept away in the moment and forget about using condoms.
Nyiramariba, a resident of Kivuruga sector confirms that buying a condom is still a scary thing to do for many girls and even men.
“Many girls are involved in relationships and they are not sure where their relationships are heading, but as girls or women we need to be prepared that just case something happens” she said.
“Historically, women have always worried more about birth control than men, since pregnancy is more of a burning issue for women,” Devota Mukashaka, 17,a a resident of Gasiza cell in Kivuruga sector said. “Today, HIV has changed that somewhat, for girls we have got to wake up and embrace the reality.”
Teenage girls and a big number of mature women in this area still feel embarrassed to bring up the subject of protection with a new partner.
Nyiramariba, 20, a resident of Kivuruga sector says that as teenage girls they need to overcame the embarrassment and not let their sexual partners decide their fate.
Many teenage girls echo Nyiramariba’s worry that they will find themselves about to have sex without protection and they frequently find it embarrassing to ask their sex partners to use a condom.
All age groups were in agreement that the use of protected sex should be equally shared between both sexual partners, which is perhaps surprising as it is girls or women who often end up bearing the consequences of a pregnancy.