With an increase of fake things in Kenya, be it fake drugs, oil, phones and now fake news, the number of fake condoms available in the country is equally alarm.
Just recently, Population Service Kenya raised an alarm over fake Trust Studded condoms circulating in the market.
Such replicas cannot pass a simple test of ensuring you enjoy safe sex without getting pregnant or contracting the sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/Aids.
Even for men, there’s need to be extremely cautious when buying the Trust Studded condoms lest you land in big trouble for making your partner conceives by using fake condoms produced by rent hunters.
Population Services Kenya says it kicked off a country-wide safety sensitisation campaign on February 10 to educate consumers on unique product markings to enable them identify the right Trust Studded condoms in the market.
To ensure you buy the authentic Trust studded condoms which are the most affected by the imitation network, the distributors urged that we all look out for particular marks of quality on the packets.
The original condom packs have the brand label ‘Studded’ embossed at the middle of the packs and appears in bold, a feature the counterfeiters are trying hard to poll into their kill-for-money venture.
Also missing on the fake contraceptives are the distributors’ contact details and an additional distinctive features that PSK has warned users have to be on the lookout for to ensure they get the most out of their quest for protected sex.
Health experts warn that such faux products not only expose one to risks such as bursting during sex but are also made of substances that are harmful to the human body. Most of the cheap lubricating oil such underground manufacturers use produces a deadly smell, a nauseating one.
In 2013, detectives stormed a Chinese illegal production line producing millions of counterfeit brand-name condoms. These were close to perfect in appearance, imitations of top brands including Durex, Contex and Jissbon.
Interestingly, these products were being placed on the country’s most popular online shop to capitalise on people who fear physically asking for condoms across counters.
With the recent surge of fake Trust studded condoms in the market, don’t just be keen on fake devices, carefully seek authenticity proves on the condoms at pharmacies, kiosks, sex toy retailer shops and even supermarkets.
Remember the Trust ‘Sema nami‘ advert?