Congratulations to the PSI/Lesotho team for winning an award at the 5th Annual Awards for Excellence in HIV/AIDS communication in Africa for its “Silkee” Female Condom promotion program, in the Social Marketing category. By partnering with peer educators, Silkee gives women in Lesotho the ability to take control of their own sexual health.
The condom is marketed as a “a silky, sassy condom brand for smart, fun and vibrant people like you. Silkee Female Condoms are made out of polyurethane material strong enough not to break during sex, but sensitive enough to give you and your man a pleasurable experience.”
Learn a bit more about PSI/Lesotho’s health improvement goals:
Commercial sales of condoms are realized through an extensive network of wholesale marketers, retail outlets and private businesses harnessing the power of the market to drive demand and sales. PSI compliments sales by assisting the Government of Lesotho through an aggressive system of free condom distribution through workplaces, health centers and community-based organizations.
PSI/Lesotho also receives US government-donated female condoms (FC) every year, which are distributed through pharmaceutical wholesalers and PSI counseling and testing centers. An expanded FC pilot comprising both enhanced free distribution activities and sales of branded products will launch in 2010.
PSI/Lesotho’s sales and distribution activities are complemented by a wide range of behavior change communication, including multi-channel media campaigns, a regular schedule of community mobilization events and targeted interpersonal communication provided by PSI’s expanding team of full-time field educators.
PSI/Lesotho also remains on the cutting edge of innovative efforts that prevent the spread of HIV and other STIs, and is currently implementing a World Bank-funded study exploring performance-based financing for HIV and STI prevention. The linking of incentives with HIV-preventive behaviors has been proven to reduce the incidence of HIV in other African countries and should the research demonstrate that this holds true in Lesotho, PSI will work with partners to bring this life-saving effort to scale.
