Social marketing – Providing quality oral contraceptives and condoms to factory workers

30/07/2019

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In recent years, when people become more and more aware of reproductive health, they have also concerned about quality of contraceptive methods such as birth control pills and condoms which are often made counterfeit.

Well understanding this situation, the Labor Union of two company - Cammsys Vina and HJC Vina Company are the first companies in Vinh Phuc province to pioneer the implementation of social marketing of oral contraceptives and condoms in their factories.

Ensuring labor’s health means contributing to company’s productivity

Industrial Zone (IZ) is a place where many workers, especially female workers of reproductive age are working. Following the success of the project “For mother and baby – For Vietnamese stature” - phase 1 and phase 2 implemented in Hanoi and Bac Ninh (2019), the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor cooperates with the Labor Union of Vinh Phuc Province, the Provincial Union of Industrial Zones and For Vietnamese Stature Foundation (VSF) implements the third phase of the project in Vinh Phuc province. The goal of the project is to improve the knowledge and practice of reproductive health, mental health and nutrition for women of reproductive age as well as nutrition for children in the first 1,000 days of life.

Social marketing of oral contraceptives and condoms in the factory

Up to this point, thousands of workers have accessed to the social marketing program after training sessions for health workers and trade union officials and 8 communication sessions on reproductive health. The labor union of the companies participating in the project greatly values the quality of the communication it brings. Prior to the program, most workers did not have full awareness of reproductive health, nor equalized reproductive health care for both genders. If before, a lot of female workers didn’t know the causes of emotional turmoil in pre and postnatal stage, then after the communication sessions, all their questions were clearly solved.

The fact that workers have knowledge about contraception, and use quality and safe contraceptives to improve health to work is one of the goals that trade unions at all levels have been trying to strengthen. Sharing more about this issue, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hue, labor union president of Wise Pacific Apparel Vietnam Company (Khai Quang Industrial Park, Vinh Yen City), said: "As a union official of the company, I will explain and further advocate so that the company's leaders and employees understand the meaning and the importance of this activity. Workers with good health and family planning are also a benefit to the company".

Actual actions

In the past 3 months, the project has organized training courses, mobile medical examinations, communication and social marketing to companies in industrial zones in Vinh Phuc province. The main objective of these activities is to provide knowledge on reproductive health care and to help workers increase access to quality reproductive healthcare products and services and family planning at reasonable expenses.

Social marketing of oral contraceptives and condoms in companies/factories is part of the goal of raising workers' awareness and changing behaviors in reproductive health care, safe sex practices and family planning.

Dr. Tran Thi Minh Tam – Reproductive health specialist in a communication session of the project

Not only the workers, but also the project experts enthusiastically responded to the social marketing program. Dr. Tran Thi Minh Tam, the person in charge of the communication sessions, was the first to order quality oral contraceptives and condoms for her clients.

Dr. Tam said: "Currently, fake condoms and contraceptives are prevail in the market. The fact that customers are using genuine condoms and oral contraceptives is becoming more important than ever, only a small mistake can make contraception becomes useless. Beside the problems such as: causing genital tract infection due to not being sterile, causing unintended pregnancy, or causing pain in women, even causing infertility, using counterfeit products also makes people lose trust in contraceptive methods. In addition, clinics or doctors providing quality condoms and oral contraceptives also increase the good reputation of the products and marketing ability to consumers, also demonstrate a positive attitude towards customers".

International and national organizations have been offering free condom to citizens. Changing the behavior from taking free samples to buying will also help the people be more aware and take the initiative in using products to protect their health and family planning. Being aware of this, there are 2 companies in the industrial zones in Vinh Phuc province, Cammsys Vina Company and HJC Vina Company officially implemented a social marketing program to introduce quality contraceptives and condoms with reasonable prices to employees at their companies.

In fact, a small incidents when using fake condoms or birth control pills can cause unintended pregnancy can thereby damage millions Dong to family’s economy. The distribution of quality products with reasonable prices is one of the great advantages for workers. The general psychology of Vietnamese people is always concerned about the price, a good quality product and a reasonable price will attract a lot of users. The number of workers, especially those of reproductive age in industrial zones are quite high. While living with a modest wage, the price of a contraceptive or subsidized contraceptive or the lowest price will certainly change their behavior, meaning that it will benefit them. This will bring huge benefits to the users.

The above contents of reproductive health care were communicated directly to workers in industrial zones in Vinh Phuc province within the framework of the project "For mother and baby - For stature of Vietnam" phase 3 of 2019 .

This is a project initiated by For Vietnamese Stature Foundation, in collaboration with the implementation of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and Vinh Phuc's Industrial Zones Union, together with the TH Group, Non-Governmental Organization DKT International and Golden Choice Company with brand NewChoice oral contraceptive brand, OK condoms, and Hoa Linh Pharmaceutical with Da Huong brand.

Communication activities on reproductive health and social marketing of condoms and oral contraceptives are being implemented at the following companies: Jahwa Vina, Cammsys Vina, Vina Korea, Bang Joo, Exactly Vietnam 1 (VPIC1), Wise Pacific Apparel Vietnam, Partron Vina, HJC, Japfa, and Koshei Multipack Vietnam (KMV).

Source: Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper