Following a survey on condom use Sensoa, the Flemish centre of expertise for sexual health, argues that condoms should be made available free or at at cheaper prices for young people. Research reveals that many young people find condoms too expensive and as a result sometimes skip their use. VRT Radio’s consumer affairs programme ‘WinWin’ wanted to find out whether a (cheaper) condom from an own-brand is as safe as condoms marketed by the big brand names.
Sensoa surveyed the people who go on its website about how they use condoms. The results are in line with earlier findings by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Results among young people are particularly striking, says Sensoa's Eva Koppen. ‘Many young people, aged between 16 and 29 years of age, say that condoms are too expensive. For many of them, the price is also a reason to have unprotected sex without a condom.’
Sensoa stresses condoms are important to prevent unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
‘Almost half of the teenagers surveyed who had sex in the past six months had used a condom. In the 20-to 29-year category, the figure fell to a third.’
Branded or unbranded condoms?
Condoms can vary widely in price. You can pick some up for 20 cents a piece. These are usually unbranded or own-brand condoms. The price for a condom from a leading brand can be as much as 2 euros a piece.
But are cheaper condom less reliable and more unsafe? ‘No, an own-brand condom is as reliable as one from a well-known leading brand. Every condom marketed in Belgium has to meet high quality standards, which have been imposed Europe-wide.’
So why do you pay more for the branded product? Eva Koppen explains that part of the cost is your contribution to the cost of marketing the product. Suppliers invest in brand awareness and that costs money. We often notice that people who are new to sex may believe it is safer to choose a brand they know.’
A second reason why you pay more for a condom from a well-known brand is the extensive range.
‘With better-known brands, you get to choose between different sizes, thicknesses and flavours, ... The choice is endless. In turn, own brands put much less effort into developing new products and have a much smaller range. But that does not make them any less safe.’
Still, there is an important caveat. ‘The bigger the range, the more likely you will find a suitable condom. Once you find the one for you, you will also have a lot more fun! A condom that fits well will also not tear so easily or slip off. As a result the incentive to use a condom is much greater,’ Koppen adds.
Is the most expensive one the best?
How do you choose ‘the right condom’? Sensoa's Eva Koppen knows it is not an easy quest.
‘Take your time to find the right condom for you. Customers sometimes test a couple of condoms and after two negative experiences, they give up. The condom tore, slipped off, or didn't feel comfortable, ... They then wrongly decide that condoms are not for them.’
‘But I can assure you: there is a condom for everyone. There is no ‘one size fits all’. Test and keep testing until you find the right condom. Try different brands and keep looking for the ideal condom for you. But I can understand that people get lost in the huge range of choices.’
What can help in the search is a test pack. ‘A test pack contains several condoms, with multiple sizes, textures and flavours. A test pack makes the search a lot easier’.
Where do we buy our condoms?
There is still some embarrassment around buying condoms. Where do most people make the purchase? ‘There’s a striking result in our survey: older participants are more likely to buy condoms from pharmacies, for that feeling of confidence, while younger people prefer to get condoms at a drugstore.’
‘You would expect more young people to buy condoms online, but that is not the case. We suspect they prefer them not to be delivered to their homes, where parents see the package arrive.’
Sensoa is unhappy that in many supermarkets condoms are often kept behind the counter instead of on the shelves.
‘As a customer you have to ask for them and that doesn't make it easier. There is already some embarrassment about setting down a pack of condoms at the checkout. Having to ask for them as well is an extra barrier. Moreover, this only increases the taboo. As a customer and to make the right choice, you should also be able to look at the different packs at your leisure.’
Free condoms for young people?
In countries like Britain and France, condoms for young people are free. Should we do the same in Belgium?
‘That looks like a good idea. The results clearly show that we need to lower the financial threshold for young people. We could examine how this can be done and learn from initiatives in neighbouring countries.’
‘In France, free condoms are available at pharmacies. That's good, only: the choice of condoms is not that great. We have mixed feelings about that, just because we know how important it is to find the suitable condom,’ Eva Koppen concludes.