Fake condoms on the market

If you have used a condom in recent times and you are not sure of the brand, you have reason to worry.

Marie Stopes Uganda, a non-government organisation that offers reproductive health services, has been directed by the National Drug Authority(NDA) to recall two batches of Life Guard brand condoms from the Ugandan market.

According to a letter issued by the NDA, Life Guard condoms from batches 19040205 and 19050105 manufactured in April and May 2019 with expiry dates for March and April 2024 do not meet market standards.

"While the lifeguard brand follows strict quality control, unfortunately, two recent batches have fallen short of the quality we demand. We have established that this is an isolated issue affecting these two batches only," said Carole Sekimpi, the Marie stopes Country Director.

Sekimpi also noted that they have been working with NDA to be able to recall more than half of the affected condoms.

"We are also urgently working with the manufacturer to establish what went wrong and ensure all future batches meet the quality standards we and our clients expect," noted Sekimpi.

This recall comes at a time when condom use is continuously declining from 38 percent in 2000 to 24 percent in 2018.

According to data from Uganda AIDs Commission, only 9 percent of men aged 40 to 49 years used a condom when they engaged in extramarital sex in 2018.

Dangers of using fake condoms
Since the bodies responsible do not know the manufacturers and the person who imports the fake condoms in the country, the condoms might be produced in unhygienic environments and contain harmful filler substances. 

"Such condoms have contributed to the increase of sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, Gonorrhea and unwanted pregnancies, with a lot of unintended pregnancies, we shall end up having unsafe abortions. And since commercial sex workers also use these products so the consequences could be enormous," said Fred Ssekyana, the NDA spokesperson.

He said it is vital that people only bought condoms from reputable retailers and pharmacies as the fakes have mainly been found on sale in corner shops and on market stalls.