Zimbabwean men say condoms ‘too small’ for them – report

Men from a small Zimbabwean town have reportedly pleaded with condom manufacturers to supply them with larger condoms, saying those available in local shops were “too small for them”.

According to New Zimbabwe.com, men from Mpandawana Growth Point said that they were at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, as some of the condoms often burst during sex.

The country’s National Aids Council (NAC) reportedly identified Mpandawana, the largest service centre in Gutu, as a “hot spot” for new sexually transmitted diseases in Masvingo province.

In February, former health minister David Parirenyatwa challenged local manufacturers to produce condoms so as “to address concerns over the size of condoms imported from China”.

‘Too small’

Parirenyatwa urged manufacturers to produce condoms that were suitable for Zimbabwean men.

According to NewsDay, Parirenyatwa said at the time that the move would also save on foreign currency.

He said that young people in the southern African country complained about the size of the imported condoms, saying they were “too small”.

At least 109.4 million condoms were distributed across Zimbabwe in 2016 which amounted to about 33 condoms per individual for the year, a New Zimbabwe.com report said.

This made Zimbabwe one of the five countries that exceeded the United Nations Population Funds regional mark of 30 male condoms per man per year, the report said.

Condoms were one of the key measures that government and development partners were using to fight the HIV and Aids prevalence.