Reproductive and public health physicians have warned that using fake or substandard condoms may lead to the spread of infections such as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and other sexually transmitted infections.
The experts said that fake condoms often lacked the necessary quality and reliability, increasing the risk of breakage or slippage during intercourse and leading to the transmission of sexually transmitted infections.
Relying on substandard products, the physicians said, could undermine public health efforts aimed at reducing STIs and promoting safe sex practices, highlighting the importance of purchasing condoms from reputable sources.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control had on Thursday alerted Nigerians to the illegal sale and distribution of an unregistered brand of condoms in Nigeria, Foula Condoms.
NAFDAC said officials from the Post-Marketing Surveillance directorate discovered Foula condoms in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, and Zango in Katsina State, noting that the discovery was made during a Risk-Based post-marketing Marketing Surveillance study on registered condoms in Nigeria.
“Condoms are a proven effective barrier method that can be used as a dual-purpose method for both prevention of unintended pregnancy and protection against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Illegal distribution or sale of unregistered condoms poses a risk as the safety, quality, and efficacy of the products are not guaranteed,” it added.
Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise in different interviews, the physicians said that fake and substandard condoms put the users at risk of STIs and unintended pregnancies as those condoms may not provide adequate protection.
A Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician at the Federal Medical Centre, Epe, Lagos State, Dr Cynthia Okafor, said the use of fake or substandard condoms increased the risk of infections and unintended pregnancies.
She noted that these inferior condoms often fail to meet quality and reliability standards, significantly increasing the likelihood of breakage.
Okafor also said this not only heightens the risk of unintended pregnancies but also facilitates the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, saying that the inadequacy of these products compromises their intended purpose, exposing users to serious health risks.
Consequently, she noted, relying on substandard condoms can have far-reaching implications for individual and public health, undermining efforts to promote safe sex practices and reduce STI rates.
Okafor said, “The implications of relying on substandard condoms extend beyond individual health; they threaten broader public health initiatives aimed at promoting safe sexual practices and reducing the incidence of STIs.
“And because these condoms are of a lower standard, they might have some micropores or holes that we cannot see, but these infections, including HIV and Hepatitis B and C could pass through and infect either of the partners.
“Beyond this, when the condoms are fake or substandard, you cannot ascertain the ingredients used in manufacturing them, including the lubricants. Of course, there are standard lubricants to be used, but these fake ones may have petroleum lubricants that may be harmful to the women when inserted in their vagina.”
She warned that the impact of this may be severe to some women, and while it may be mild in others depending on the body system, noting that some may experience itchy rash around the region, while others will have different forms of irritability.
Okafor continued, “The widespread availability of counterfeit or low-quality condoms undermines the hard-earned progress in sexual health education and preventive measures.”
She emphasised the need for individuals to purchase condoms from reputable sources, ensuring that these products are certified to meet established safety standards.
Okafor noted that awareness campaigns were essential to educate consumers about the dangers of using non-certified condoms and the importance of verifying the authenticity of sexual health products.
She urged users to remain vigilant and look for proper labelling and quality assurance seals on the products that they are buying to ensure that they are using reliable protection.
“Using fake condoms can mess up a woman’s birth-spacing if the protection fails those families that rely on condoms for birth-spacing or birth control. It has a wide range of issues, and this is why I will tell Nigerians to be careful when buying condoms,” Okafor added.
Also, a Professor of Public Health at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Tanimola Akande, emphasised that unregistered or fake condoms may not be able to protect the users.
Akande, an epidemiologist, said, “Unregistered condoms are likely to be fake or substandard. They are not likely to meet the quality expected.
“Such condoms may be unable to protect users. This may lead to unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.”
He emphasised the importance of registering all manufactured and imported condoms in the country to at least guarantee the safety of the users.
“The right practice for manufacturers and importers of condoms is to get NAFDAC approval and number before they are sold to ensure the products are safe for users,” he added.
