Local condoms better than imports
JAKARTA (JP): When buying condoms, don't be deceived by their exotic names or where they come from.
A recent survey by the Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI), backed by Australian laboratory tests, has found that local condoms beat imported condoms on price, quality and effectiveness.
They certainly are more effective as contraceptives, and more effective in preventing the spread of the dreaded Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the foundation said.
Seven of the most popular brands of condoms in Jakarta were selected for the survey: three local brands, three imported brands and one brand whose origin was unclear.
"We found the local condoms had higher quality," Indah Sukmaningsih, the second secretary of YLKI's executive board, said at a presentation yesterday.
The local brand supplied by the Ministry of Health under its family planning campaign topped the survey. The condom does not have a brand name but is referred to as the Depkes condom.
The other condom brands tested included Simplex Delux 002 and Dua Lima which are made in Indonesia, Super Young-Young which are made in Taiwan, Romantic 003 Deluxe which are made in Britain and Jellia Sexy 002 MM which are made in Japan. The seventh brand was Zero O-Long Time, its origins are unknown.
The foundation bought 500 condoms of each brand at the Glodok, Jatinegara and Pramuka markets in Jakarta. The foundation sent them for testing at the Enersol Laboratory in New South Wales, Australia.
"We wanted an independent and high quality laboratory to conduct the tests for us," Indah said.
Several types of test were carried out to determine the condoms' strength, elasticity, and chances of exploding or leaking under strain.
None of the Depkes, Simplex or Dua Lima condoms exploded during inflation-volume tests, Indah said.
Jellia Sexy condoms were the worst performers with 88 out of 200 exploding, she said. Nine Super Young-Young condoms and eight Romantic condoms exploded, she added.
Another 200 condoms of each brand were tested for leakage. None of the Depkes condoms leaked, but one Simplex condom, one Dua Lima condom, 15 Romantic condoms and 21 Jellia Sexy condoms leaked.
Indah did not release the test results for Zero O-Long Time, but the survey rated it as "poor", along with Super Young-Young. Romantic and Jellia Sexy were rated as "very poor". The Depkes condom was rated "very good", while Simplex and Dua Lima were rated "good".
The Depkes condoms are the cheapest of the seven brands, selling for Rp 250 (10 U.S. cents). The others are sold by retailers for between Rp 375 and Rp 583.
The foundation said the research was very important for consumers because many people chose their condoms based on popularity and price, not knowing the quality of the products they were buying.
Indah said the consumer agency has received many complaints about the ineffectiveness of condoms as contraceptives.
A woman once complained to the foundation that she kept getting pregnant although her husband was using condoms, Indah said. "It always failed ... although my husband had bought the most expensive condoms which were supposed to be the best," Indah quoted the unnamed woman as saying. (31)