Until now, China still has a problem shaking off the bad quality associated with made-in-China labels, whether it is children’s toys or condoms.
One country which is regretting having ordered 1.2 million condoms from China is Chile which raised a nationwide alarm on Monday. The Chilean Public Health Institute said defects became noticeable such as the tendency of the condoms to break and leak lubricant, reported Vice News.
Later test showed some of the contraceptives were too small and are in packages that deteriorate quickly upon handling. The institute also called on Chileans to stop using the condoms made in China, while those that are still in stock would not be released to the public until the problems are solved.
Chile ordered the condoms to halt the increase in new cases of HIV which have doubled in the last 10 years, reported Washington Post. According to Chilean health officials, 25,000 people are undergoing treatment, but another 14,000 Chileans are unaware they have the virus.
Activists believe the Chilean government is not doing enough to stem the rise of new HIV case because of its failure to meet head-on deeply entrenched conservative attitudes toward sex. But Alejandro Afani, head of the HIV Center of the University of Chile, pointed out that it is not only Chile which is conservative but the whole of Latin America.
“The problem is a lack of political will rather than cultural idiosyncrasy. They don't take the issue seriously or dedicate the resources it deserves,” Afani said.