Female Condoms Finally Given the Stamp of Approval in NZ

Female Condoms Finally Given the Stamp of Approval and Will Be Available In New Zealand

Positive Women Inc. (PWI), the national support organisation for women and families living with HIV and AIDS is very pleased to announce that Tony Ryall, Minister of Health has approved an amendment to the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977 to allow for the sale of female condoms within New Zealand.

For over three years PWI has been calling for female condoms to be made available in New Zealand with their Paper Doll Campaign. Exactly one month ago today, PWI National Coordinator, Jane Bruning stood on the steps of Parliament and presented hundreds of paper dolls and a petition to Labour MP Carol Beaumont, Spokesperson for Women's Affairs with the hope that this would lend support to the Ministry of Health approving the sale of female condoms in New Zealand.

Jane Bruning says, “We are ecstatic that the FC2 is finally to be made available in New Zealand. We have campaigned long and hard for this through the Paper Doll Campaign. The Female Condom empowers women to take control over their sexual health and safety making it an important option for women. The next battle will be to ensure they are subsidized so they are not only available but affordable, at the same level as the male condom”.

FC2 Female condoms were not available in New Zealand as the synthetic latex material they are made out of, nitrile, was not approved by MedSafe. PWI believes that due in part to their Paper Doll Campaign, MedSafe undertook a consultation on the standard for female condoms in late 2013 and passed their recommendation for approval to the Ministry of Health.

Dane McIndoe, Managing Director of GLYDE Healthcare NZ, Distributor of the FC2 Female Condom says “says “This is a massive win for all women in NZ, it is very rewarding to see such a positive result come from the Paper Doll Campaign. Jane and her supporters have done an amazing job over the last three years” There will be an official launch for the FC2 Female Condom on May 1st2014 when they will also be publicly available via the GLYDE Healthcare website. Retail stockists across New Zealand will have them for sale from Friday 2nd May 2014.

www.positivewomen.org.nz

ENDS

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