Increasing condom accessibility and availability are vital to reducing high Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) rates in our region.
The Barwon South West region has some of the highest STI statistics in the state, with three local government areas almost double than the state average in chlamydia notifications. With condoms being the only contraceptive method that prevents sexually transmissible infections, Women’s Health West Barwon South West (WHWBSW) set out to map how accessible and available condoms were across the region, and to implement condom vending machines into areas where there were limited condom purchase options.
Staff scanned the entire region, by visiting each location and recording information on the location of condoms, packet variety, number of packets and the type of businesses that sold condoms. Just over 200 locations for condoms were found across the Barwon South West region, with 60 other locations not selling condoms when they were expected to.
WHWBSW have engaged with a national condom company, to implement condom vending machines into the nine local government areas across the region.
Visit the Victorian Women’s Health Atlas and see where your area fits in comparison to the rest of the state. Use this information to rally your local government to implement condom vending machines into your area, increasing condom availability for all local residents.
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