The 22nd edition of the International Conference on Aids and STIs in Africa (ICASA) held in Zimbabwe in 2023 is the biggest HIV/AIDS conference in Africa. The African Alliance stall at ICASA 2023 in Harare, introduced Rudo, the talking female/inner condom. Speaking about sex remains a stigmatised conversation – so Rudo was introduced to sidestep the need to speak to a person about the female/inner condom and instead speak to the condom itself.
Rudo is an AI-powered female condom. She answers questions in 17 languages spoken on the continent, from Afrikaans, Amharic, and Igbo to Shona, Swahili, and isiZulu. Rudo explains how the condom works and how it can help prevent an unplanned pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection such as HIV.
The stall exhibition room was set up to look like a vagina – replete with bright pink lights, and fuscia-coloured feathers. Inside that space was a luxurious lounge where people could speak to Rudo in private. On-site was Maya Gokul, an expert trainer on inner condoms, to give people more practical information if they needed it. She’s been teaching people about the female condom for decades.
