In response to recently reported high rate of STDs in Samoa, the NUS School of Nursing, Samoa Family Health Association and Samoa Red Cross have joined forces in an attempt to ensure safer sex among young people. The project will see free condom dispensers put in to bathrooms across the NUS campus.

Those promoting the initiative say access to free condoms has been proven internationally to help reduce the risk of STI transmission and unplanned pregnancy, specifically among youth.

Catholic Church spokesman Father Ioane Ono has told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat the Church intends to launch a formal objection to the plan.

He says contraception encourages promiscuity and is immoral.

"There's no guarantee that these condoms protect our children from passing on diseases," he said.

"And on the other side of the coin, it is promoting promiscuity and promoting fornication."

According to local reports, 35% of the population in Samoa has tested positive for sexually transmitted diseases.

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Radio Australia
• Pacific Beat
• Image: 4.BP.Blogspot

Program's director, Joanne Cohen says Fiji has a high rate of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cohen told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program that condoms are not widely used or accepted and the prgram was part of a plan to merge counselling with other services available to patients.

"What we've done to try and normalise the use of condoms...we've actually worked with the Ministry of Health in Fiji so that every woman that comes into a ministry of health facility they are given this opportunity for awareness, for discussion about condoms," she said.

The one-day training program was run by Pacific Counselling and Social Services, a non-government organisation in Suva.

Source:
Australia Network News