September 5, 2007

Unsafe Sex in the Capital?

Thousands of condoms manufactured in China and distributed in DC by the District have been returned to the health department due to their flimsy paper packaging, The Washington Post reports.

A coalition of AIDS organizations has collected and returned to the District 100,000 of the suspicious condoms, many of which had illegible expiration dates. Condom recipients claimed that the paper wrapper easily tore when carried in a purse or pocket leading to concerns about whether the questionable packaging could compromise the efficacy of the condoms.

Demand at two sites in Southeast DC that had been distributing the Chinese-made condoms has dropped 80 percent since they were introduced earlier this year. The District is researching alternate products for future distribution.