Can Nairobi worry over 'small condoms' in UG?

Is it likely that Kenya is not a ‘superpower’ in East Africa when it comes to penis size?

The question came up on Nairobi streets and on radio call-in talk shows, following an intense debate in the Ugandan parliament over “small condoms.”

Apparently, the bunge in Kampala learnt that many men in the country were having a hard time getting the correct size of condoms, as those in the market were a bit small. This forced the MPs to make urgent calls to the Museveni administration to take action.

MP Merard Bitekyerezo was quoted telling the local media: “Some youth are complaining about the condoms they are being given. Some of them are too short, their organs can’t fit in them.”

The lawmakers were worried that if condoms keep bursting, then there is a likelihood that the rate of HIV infections could shoot up.

Here in Kenya, although the discussion on condom size has not made it to the august House, experts and reproductive health activists are warning that the condom problem is a time bomb.

Stanley Ngara aka ‘King of Condoms’ at Liverpool Voluntary Counseling and Testing (LVCT) told The Nairobian: “I’ve had very few cases of small condoms, but it can be a big issue if not handled with care.”

He added: “Several factors can make condom smaller or bigger as Ugandan men claim. First, we will rule out penis size because condoms can accommodate a length of up to 15cm. The sheath can lose its originality if worn in hurry, in the dark, and if not well lubricated,” he said.

 According to Ngara, a sexual practice popular in Uganda could be rendering the condoms “useless.”

“The practice involves rubbing a male’s organ against a woman’s labia and clitoris to satisfy the woman, in the process shrinking the condom. The practice is not common in Kenya,” he said.

The reproductive health campaigner said the fact that condom size was discussed in Uganda proves that leaders there value the health of the people, and are not ashamed to discuss issues related to sex.

Officials at the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) told The Nairobian that condoms currently in the market undergo several tests to check for size and elasticity.

According to Kebs, the length of condoms in the Kenyan market is 160 milimetres and the width is 50-56 milimetres.

James Mwangi, a Kebs lab technician, said: “Some of the tests that condoms are subjected to include pressure, volume, and checks to establish if they are punctured, as well as lubrication.”

Dr Lubano Kizito, a scientist at Kemri, said there is no research to prove that Ugandans are more endowed than Kenyans.

“That Ugandan men have bigger sexual organs is not based on any research. Just like socks come in different sizes, so does condoms. Some people buy condoms in a hurry and don’t bother to check their size,” he adds.

 “Asians have small penises, that is a fact. However, our African market has a standardised condom size. I find it humorous for Ugandans to discuss condom size in parliament. No one has ever died from using small condoms. The leaders there need to focus on more pressing issues,” he told The Nairobian.