J. Importance of interpersonal communication

Because it is a new method, the female condom requires the development of effective educational materials. Many women have little understanding of the physical and biological aspects of their reproductive system. Since a woman must place the female condom inside her vagina, a process that is not necessarily familiar to her, explicit instructional materials are necessary to assist her in this task. One-on-one communication with trained personnel has been found to be effective. Despite it being resource intensive (training and salaries of staff), countries with the most experience in the promotion of the female condom have found training invaluable. Owing to the novelty of the product and the woman’s lack of reproductive health knowledge, women often find insertion of the female condom difficult the first time. Without culturally appropriate personal communication strategies in place, women may discontinue use and negatively influence their peers. Interpersonal communication can occur in a variety of situations including hairdressing salons (where women spend a considerable length of time and can share direct experiences about the product), in pharmacies and doctors’ offices (where there is an opportunity to learn from a trusted health practitioner), and in retail outlets (Zambia has consumer clinics at supermarkets where trained personnel can answer questions about