New condom testing machine to boost public confidence

The Kenyan government has acquired a new condom testing machine that it says will guarantee all condoms entering the country are of high quality; the move is intended to restore public confidence following the recent banning of a brand of imported condoms deemed defective by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).



"Following the recent events where certain condom products were found to be leaking, the testing machine will ensure that we only allow condoms that pass the test into the market to be used by members of the public," said Nicholas Muraguri, director of the national AIDS and sexually transmitted infection control programme (NASCOP) at the Ministry of Public Health.



The new machine - purchased from Australia with the support of the UN Population Fund for US$80,000 - can test up to 1,000 condoms a day and, unlike the KEBS testing system, which only uses the “freedom from holes” test, it will also check elasticity, pressure, durability and size.



According to the government, this year KEBS has tested about 2,000 condoms; NASCOP hopes to test significantly more using the new machine; at least 160 million condoms are distributed in the country annually by the government.



"The government will strengthen condom testing procedures; the Kenya Bureau of Standards has been instructed to ensure this happens," Muraguri said.



He noted there was also a need to educate the public on the correct use of condoms as improper use could also hamper their effectiveness.



"Other than just the quality of the condom itself, the way people use it also determines how safe it will be - we have even realized that there are those who use petroleum-based lubricants with condoms instead of water-based lubricants, which is very dangerous," he said.



Muraguri said the government had made every effort to remove the Hot brand of condoms from the market and surveillance was still under way to ensure none remained.



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