‘Contraceptives do not cause cancer’

MEMBERS of the public have been assured that contraceptives do not cause cancer or infertility in women as believed by many.

The Deputy Country Director for PSI Tanzania, Mr Romanus Mtung'e, said that such beliefs have led to low use of contraceptives in the country.

He noted that the current Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) stands at 25 per cent, according to a national survey conducted in 2010.

Mr Mtung'e said that the government's strategic plan is to attain a CPR of 60 per cent by 2015. He explained that this will only be achieved through behavioural change among both men and women.

"The only way men can help in this plan is through behavioural change. Men should support their spouses in using contraceptives for family planning," he explained.

The PSI Tanzania Deputy Country Director, told journalists yesterday that another national survey will be conducted in 2016 to provide the most current CPR.

"The last national CPR survey was conducted in 2010 which showed that only 25 per cent of contraceptives were in use in the country, but soon another national survey will be conducted in 2016 that will provide the most current prevalence rates of contraceptives," he explained.

He said some of the reasons for low contraceptive use in the country is myths that women who use them will get cancer and become infertile -- unable to get pregnant. "These are just myths.

They are not true. Once a woman stops using the contraceptives, they will get pregnant as opposed to what the public believes," he added.

He, however, noted that male condoms are in high use, explaining that more than 100 million male condoms are used every year compared to 1.3 million female condoms.

This year he said PSI Tanzania plans to distribute 117 male condoms nationwide this year and another 21 million condoms supplied to Medical Stores Department (MSD) which will be distributed to Health Centres freely by the medical stores.

"We will be supplying 21 million condoms under a special three-year programme starting this year.

These condoms will be distributed freely to health centres," he explained. Journalists visited the PSI warehouse, where they saw all levels of packaging of condoms and contraceptives.

Surprisingly those who were doing actual packing of the condoms and contraceptives are women, whom the PSI Tanzania Assistant Warehouse Manager, Francis Mbawala, said were keen and careful with the packing.

PSI Tanzania works with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to support the government to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce child mortality and to eliminate maternal mortality and combat Malaria and HIV/Aids.

Written By ROSE ATHUMANI

Source@DailyNews