Many Nigerians are in a dilemma on the use of condom based on current campaign that holds that it is not safe.

The high prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the country shows that something must be done quickly to curtail the spread. Unfortunately, many Nigerians have already succumbed to the deadly disease. Nigeria, having 10 percent prevalent rate is at its generalised stage and the people mostly affected are the youths. Project for Human Development (PHD) says that out of 121 students screened for the virus in two secondary schools at Agege in Lagos, 18 of them tested positive and 11 were girls. This does not only show moral decadence but also the fact that minors are now sexually active. They need to know all the truth about condom and sex. Ironically, with all the contradicting campaigns on condom and safe sex, no one has come to address the most important issue that tugs on the mind of the people.

Many governmental and non governmental organisations claim that safe sexual practices mean complete abstinence from sex, mutually faithful sexual relations between non - infected partners and consistent use of condom. The Society for Family Health believes that abstinence and lifelong fidelity to one uninfected partner are not the experience of millions of people. "Therefore, promoting wide spread understanding of condom efficacy and advocating their consistent use by those who choose to be sexually active is crucial to protecting people from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases".

The society also claimed that when consistently and correctly used condom is an effective family planning method and protection against STDs, including HIV. It averred that scientific research from many sources prove the same though there is a lot of misinformation and questions surrounding custom and its use. The facts about condom according to SFH is that laboratory studies show that intact latex condom provide a barrier to "micro - organisms", including HIV as well as sperm. "One study found no condom holes when condoms were magnified to 2,000 times. A second study using a special microscope to magnify condoms to 30,000 times (a magnification at which HIV sized particles can be observed) reported that no holes were evident even when the condoms were stretched. It said: "latex condoms are an effective barrier to even the smallest sexually transmitted particles including HIV".

A similar study in 1993 showed that using condoms every time prevented HIV transmission for all but two of 171 women who had male partners with HIV. Eight out of ten women whose partners did not use condoms every time became infected.

But PHD has picked holes with these facts. Last week, in a seminar titled, "HIV/AIDS Prevention Through Abstinence From Sex Before Marriage and Fidelity in Marriage" for the present batch of youth corpers posted to Lagos State, Mr. Jerry Okwuosa, executive director of the organisation said that British Medical Journal (2000) revealed that the use of condom could lead to increase in AIDS and riskier behaviours. While Food and Drug Administration, USA in 1987 admitted that condom cannot eliminate the risk of STDs and AIDS, experts said that condom was 69 per cent effective. They find it absurd that condom used by risk group is described as safe sex.

In July 2001, a scientific analysis of condom effectiveness for control and prevention in USA posited that it was found to be 85 per cent successful. Okwuosa maintained that no country has sufficiently fought AIDS by the use of condom. Citing an example, he said that Uganda which formerly was Number 1 on the 'league table' abandoned condom use and came down to number 17 following the adoption of conduct. Similarly, Thailand and Philippines are fighting against pre - marital and post - marital sex. This point is butressed further by John Hopkins University in closing the condom gap. It said "the need for condom is giving HIV/AIDS and other STDs spread. In America, 250 million people are employed to teach young people that the best thing is to abstain from sex before marriage. It is a taboo. The problem with HIV/AIDS is that people are having sex outside marriage and before marriage".

PHD asserts that condom pores are 5 microns in diameter while the HIV virus is O.I microns in size. Moreover, during manufacture PHD claims that the latex gets infected with lager holes which make it difficult for reliability besides other practical and technical faults.

The problems that arise from the argument is that many Nigerians are confused with the many contradicting claims that could easily give rise to non-chalance attitude towards sex. The federal government is expected to reveal facts concerning the condoms used in the country to put minds at rest just like in Zimbabwe where all condoms distributed in the country undergo rigorous testing by the Zimbabwean Medical Control Authority to ensure the quality. And perhaps according to US 2001 projections, there should be a law in the country that stipulates the necessity of giving sufficient medical information on the packs of the condom just as it is done on cigarettes. Unfortunately, government is tackling the issue with secrecy and denial and hospitals are not talking he stated.