A recall has been triggered for around 300 thousand condoms with holes and non-compliant ones. According to the General Directorate for Competition, Consumption and the Suppression of Fraud (DGCCRF) and the General Directorate of Health (DGS), thousands of packages, mostly coming from Asian distributors, would be risky for health.
Of these, over 250,000 would be at risk of breakage or already punctured, while another 40,000 packages lack the CE mark and European conformity assessment. It happened in France, but many of the condoms were sold online. Is it possible that some packages ended up in Italy? At the moment the Ministry of Health, which manages the surveillance system, has not raised any alarm. However, it is better to know the sites that resell inappropriate devices and the brands that have caused havoc in France.
300 thousand defective condoms
According to what we learn, over 300,000 condoms have been recalled in France because they have holes, are at risk of breaking or lack the CE mark and therefore no European conformity assessment. Specifically:
- 250,000 laundry items or at risk of breakage;
- 40,000 without the CE mark.
This huge batch was analyzed in the laboratory and it was found that over 260,000 condoms had small holes in the protective sheath. In most cases, a high risk of breaking the latex protection was therefore identified.
Many of these were sold online, but most came from pharmacies and stores.
The brands involved in the recall
Four brands were targeted by the authorities which, as French sources point out, are mostly distributed by Asian producers.
The brands involved are:
- Friday Bae (Le Préservatif);
- Okamoto (003 and 002);
- Sagami (Sagami Original 002, sold on Amazon);
- My Lubie (sold on Amazon, in pharmacies and by various retailers).
These specifically are the products that do not bear the CE mark and therefore have not been subjected to European conformity assessments. Even those sold in shops, despite having obtained the CE marking, have been verified in the laboratory and present a risk of breakage due to the presence of perforations.
Health system in alarm
The French health system has raised the alarm. Thousands of products have already been recalled from May to June, but many may have been used unknowingly.
The Ministry of Health has announced that non-compliant condoms can:
pose serious risks to the health and safety of users, such as sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies.
For this reason, the authorities recommend that people who have used these condoms or suspect they have used them to undergo screening for sexually transmitted infections and take a pregnancy test in case of a missed period.
Alarm in Italy too?
At the moment there are no reports from the Ministry of Health on possible recalls of condoms. There are also no reports from Italian users for the products involved in the French recalls, which can still be purchased in online stores.
Some have been withdrawn, the sale of others has been blocked, but there may be third-party sellers in Italy or purchases made by Italian users before the alarm was raised in France.
For this reason it is a good idea to check the brands involved and, before use, check the CE marking. If you suspect the use of a condom involved in the recall, exactly as suggested by the French health authorities, it is a good idea to undergo a screening for sexually transmitted infections or take a pregnancy test.
