THE Ghanaian government has ordered half a million female condoms to help combat the spread of the HI virus. The contraceptive, which can be used by either women or men practicing homosexual sex, was first trialed in the country as part of a pilot project run by the United Nations Population Fund and the Ghana Social Marketing Foundation. The product proved so popular, especially among young women, that supplies ran out, said Alice Sena Lamptey, national co-ordinator of Society for Women and Aids in Africa (SWAA). It is estimated that more than 400,000 Ghanaians are infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). – AFP