Infohub

By practising  safer sex , you can protect yourself from an unplanned pregnancy and  sexually transmitted infections (STIs) , including  HIV . This means always wearing a condom, but first it’s a good idea to know how to use one and what to do if something goes wrong.  How do condoms work? There are wide range of condoms and  female condoms  available, with varying levels of thickness, texture, material, size, colour and taste. They work by forming a barrier between the penis and anus, vagina or mouth. This prevents fluids (blood, semen or bodily fluids) being passed into, or on, each other. The most popular type of condoms is made from a thin latex (rubber). However, if you are sensitive to latex you can use polyurethane or polyisoprene condoms instead. Why is it important to wear a condom? If someone has an STI this can be passed on during unprotected  vaginal ,  anal  or  oral  sex, or by sharing a sex toy. Vaginal se...

FGM refers to all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for cultural or other non-medical reasons. How many women and girls are affected? An estimated 100 million to 140 million girls and women alive today are believed to have been subjected to FGM; they are predominately in sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab States. But rates of FGM are increasing, a reflection of global population growth. A key challenge is not only protecting girls who are currently at risk but also ensuring that those to be born in the future will be free from the dangers of the practice. This is especially important considering that FGM-concentrated countries are generally experiencing high population growth and have large youth populations. In 2010, for example, more than 45 per cent of the female populations in the Gambia, Mali, Somalia and  Uganda were under age 15. How does FGM affect the health of women and girls?...