Alert on the sale of tens of thousands of non-compliant condoms in France

Condoms with a slick design, sold in pharmacies or in high-end sex shops, but do not comply with regulations. The Fraud Repression Agency (DGCCRF) and the Ministry of Health launched the alert this Friday: around thirty non-compliant condom references - or 40,000 condoms - have been sold in recent months in France, both online, in pharmacies and in stores. They are likely to cause unwanted pregnancies, but also sexually transmitted infections. At the end of May and the beginning of August, nearly 260,000 condoms had already been recalled. How to check that you are not affected? We'll answer you.

Which condoms are affected?

Around a thousand boxes, or more than 40,000 non-compliant condoms, have been sold in recent months. Most of the products were sold on the Internet, via Asian distributors, specifies the joint press release from the DGCCRF and the Directorate General of Health (DGS).

The brands concerned, referenced on the Rappel Conso website, are Friday Bae (The Condom), Okamoto (003 and 002), Sagami (Sagami Original 002), and My Lubie. For the latter, the products are sold both on Amazon, but also in pharmacies and in various brands such as Nuoo, Mademoiselle Bio, Monoprix, Ayanature and Passage du Désir.

How are they not compliant?

Most of the condoms identified do not have a CE (Conformité Européenne) marking, a regulatory obligation attesting that a product meets the safety, health and environmental requirements of the European Union. They also do not have a conformity assessment by a third party organization, nor, for the most part, packaging in French.

Checks in stores and pharmacies also made it possible to identify two references of condoms having obtained the CE marking and yet non-compliant due to a “risk of bursting” for one and “the presence of perforations” for the other. Non-compliant condoms can pose serious risks to the health and safety of users: sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies.

What to do if you bought one?

The authorities recommend that consumers who have used these condoms be screened for sexually transmitted infections and take a pregnancy test if a late period is noted. When purchasing condoms, the two institutions invite consumers to check the presence of a CE marking affixed by the manufacturer, the identity and reliability of the seller, the presence of instructions for use in French which must in particular specify the precautions for use and contraindications, as well as the condition of the packaging and the expiry date.

Online platforms have been ordered to immediately remove listings for the affected products and inform buyers and third-party sellers of the non-compliance of the condoms. In total, 36 ads were removed immediately. Resellers have undertaken to examine their verification systems and filtering rules on these products.