Condoms verdict: Cheap is not always expensive

By Alex Kiprotich

Kenyans have unwittingly been exposing themselves to unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV/Aids through use of substandard condoms.

Tests of some brands in circulation confirm that some condoms could be porous. The shocking revelations emerged after the Zambia Bureau of Standards halted sale of two brands "Evolution" and "Hot" after testing showed they leak.

The brands manufactured by a firm based in the UK are sold across the counters.

Despite the uproar on the quality of the two brands, they are still on sale in chemists and supermarkets.

Mr Calvin Kiheri, a city pharmacist, said they have not received any complaints.

Kiheri said they would continue selling the brands they stock until the Government withdraws them.

"So far we have not received any complaints from our customers and the Government has not written to us to withdraw them," he said.

He said customers have various brands to choose from as they await assurance from the Government over the brands they suspect to be substandard.

Condom safety

The Director of National Aids and STD Control Programme Nicholas Muraguri, however, assured the public the condoms are safe.

Muraguri said people should not panic because all condoms being distributed by the Government have been tested and their quality assured. "Condoms are tested in the country of origin, when imported random sampling is done once they are in circulation," he said.

He said a case of one or two leaking condoms does not warrant the condemnation of the whole lot.

"It is normal that one or two can be found leaking due to damages occasioned while transporting, but this does not mean the whole lot is bad," he said.

He said Government market share in the distribution of condoms is 75 per cent; Population Service International cover 23 per cent, while the private sector takes up only two per cent.

"The Government is the biggest supplier of condoms and we ensure that they are tested for quality," he said. Adding, the Government imports condoms from countries that are World Health Organisation pre-qualified.

"We make sure that imported condoms are subjected to stringent measures to ensure that they are of high quality," he said.

Dr Muraguri said manufacturers test batches of condoms to cut down on the chance of breakage and leakage.

"Since the heat and sharp edges required to package condoms could damage them, a second set of quality assurance tests takes place at the end of the line, before the condoms leave the factory," he said.

A simple way of testing condoms for leaks, he said, is for technicians to fill them with water and hang them up for a few minutes.

Kenya Bureau of Standards

He said workers can visually inspect the condoms for signs of leakage, but a more accurate test involves rolling the filled condom on absorbent paper. Muraguri said another leak test, which has a wet and a dry mode, requires electricity.

In the wet test, condoms form an insulating layer on metal rods dipped into a conductive solution. When electricity passes through the solution, it also passes through any holes or thin spots in the condoms.

A computer detects the current and determines which condoms fail the test. The dry test uses a more powerful jolt of electricity.

Medical researchers also evaluate the materials used, the size and length of the condoms, and whether they are effective.

"It is not only about leaking condoms, we need also to test size and length," said Muraguri.

100 per cent failure

Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) Chief Manager quality analysis and inspection John Wepukhulu confirmed the ‘Hot’ brand of condom is faulty. Wepukhulu said its samples showed that the brand is 100 per cent faulty. "The quality assurance team has been sampling the brands and found that they do not meet the required standards hence we have recalled it," he said.

Following the revelation, he said the standards body would begin putting standardisation mark of quality on all condoms.