Iganga sex workers decry shortage of condoms
A section of sex workers in Iganga town have decried the shortage of condoms in the district’s general hospital at Nakavule saying their lives are at risk since they end up using polythene papers.
They have urged the government to intervene and support them with protectors in health centers.
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Speaking to Nile Post, the sex workers who operate majorly in town cited the shortage of protectors saying what they get cannot help them all and others fail to get.
They have asked authorities to help them to fight for their lives since they are prone to acquiring HIV/ AIDS and other STDs
“What hurts us most is that we don’t have condoms, at the general hospital and municipal council HCIII you cannot find protectors and we call upon government to intervene because we are sometimes using polythene papers as substitution for condoms which puts our lives at risk,”one of them said.
“When you go to health centers like Iganga general hospital, you can get only one box which cannot be used by, say five people. We fail to get condoms in health centers where we go and our lives are in danger,” one of the sex workers who preferred anonymity to speak freely said.
They decried the difficulty in accessing condoms saying the government through the lower leadership needs to come in and support them because they use the protectors as their capital.
“The customers (men) who approach us end up having live sex with us because of absence of condoms and we have fear that we may contract HIV/AIDS within the process. We end up having no option other than accepting to have live sex because we need the money.”
However, in an interview with this website, the assistant district health officer for Iganga district Dr. Karim Mwebaza Muluya refuted allegations saying there are enough condoms for the people in all health centers, saying some people lack information on where to find them.
“I have heard my sisters complaining that they don’t have condoms but as Iganga district, I want to assure them that protectors are enough for all the people who wish to get them in the district. The issue is that some people don’t know where to access them but we encourage you to ask whenever you get to our health facilities,” Dr. Muluya said.
Dr. Muluya said they are strategizing to ensure that they make condoms accessible in some places like lodges, bars and other public places to minimize risks of sexually transmitted diseases.
Iganga town continues to be on the spot for virus spread since it is a busy town along the Kampala-Tororo-Busia highway and brings together a number of people both from within Uganda and abroad.
The district has the route to two border points of Kenya; Malaba and Busia, attracting a number of travellers especially the trailer drivers who are believed to be one of the major carriers of the virus.
