Flashback: Condoms, Comedy and Trevor Noah

Posted March 10, 2017

By Maria Dieter, Communications Assistant, PSI

“Why do our condoms sound like vuvuzelas?”

In 2014, that’s what South Africans were asking when their government-issued condoms weren’t making the grade. And how can condoms prevent HIV if no one wants to use them?

Let’s flash back to September 2016, when comedian Trevor Noah explained how the South African government worked to improve the user experience for their condoms, ultimately increasing condom use and protection from HIV.

Even the Deputy President was on board for the new condoms:

But this is more than a laughing matter. In order to stem the spread of HIV, the South African National Department of Health has been working with PSI to develop condoms that offer both protection and a positive user experience. In 2014, they began to rebrand the publicly issued Choice condoms. PSI worked with local agencies in South Africa on the rebrand, and in June 2016 the NDOH officially launched max condoms.

Max condoms — Photo credit: Western Cape Government, South Africa

A domestic promotion agency was chosen to release the condoms and ensure that the condoms were quiet and smelled good, too. They held condom demos, as well as condom awareness and education campaigns. By September 2016, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa debuted the condoms to parliament.

In South Africa, the consumers used to ask, “why do our condoms smell bad?”

Now the only question is, “Apple flavor or grape flavor?”

Banner Photo: © Population Services International / Photo by: Stephanie O’Connor

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Beyond the observed interactions with patients, supervisors heard from community members that they were pleased that CHWs were able to provide essential malaria services in the community. And the data shows the impact.

In IM-supported areas of Mali, 36% of CHWs in the first round were competent in performing the RDT, which rose to 53% in the second. 24% of CHWs in the first round compared to 38% in the second were competent in the treatment of fever cases and pre-referral counseling. Between both rounds, availability of ACT increased from 80 percent to 90 percent.

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Flashback: Condoms, Comedy and Trevor Noah

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Digitalizing contraceptive counseling to reach rural women and girls in Ethiopia

Building community health worker capacity to deliver malaria care

Taking a market-based approach to scale sanitation in Ethiopia

Promoting self-managed care like Self-testing and Self-Sampling

Using peer coaches to counter HIV stigma in South Africa

simplifying consumers’ journey to care in Vietnam

Engaging the private sector for disease surveillance in Myanmar

Training health workers in Angola

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