India May Face A Shortage Of Condoms As COVID-19 Cripples Manufacturing

According to global family-planning experts and condom manufacturers, the COVID-19 outbreak has halted the production and distribution of this mean to prevent pregnancy, creating a global shortage.

With no condom, the most budget-friendly sometimes only mean of controlling birth, at hand, in many parts of the world, people may have nothing to help them have safe sex and avoid unwanted pregnancy.

As stated by Paul Liang, marketing director of the largest condom manufacturer in the world, Karex, the global shortage had already here and with it come a slew of sexual health issues.

Malaysia-based Karex manufactures around 20% of the world’s condoms but because of the nation-wide lockdown, it has not made a single one in the last 10 days, translating to 100 million condoms that would have been distributed all over the world.

The company has resumed half of its capacity and is rushing to fill in the gap left by companies in India and China.

In the next few weeks, the supply chain of condoms in countries outside Europe and the U.S will take a big hit, from India to the Republic of Congo.

A national lockdown has also caused the shipping problem as manufacturers now have no means to ship products to consumers. Flights and freights canceled and ports in Malaysia and India are clogged.

A shortage of condoms might force people to take unnecessary risks and increase the rate of unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases, especially in regions where people have limited to no other means of birth control.

So if one has no contraceptive pills or condoms at hand, what can they do? According to experts, the only measure available is not to have sex, but it is not a viable solution.

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