U.S.A.I.D. Chooses Chinese Condoms Over Alabama Condoms

Cheap Chinese condoms... go ahead, try one!

source: Kansas City Star:

The U.S. Agency for International Development, which has distributed an estimated 10 billion U.S.-made AIDS-preventing condoms in poor countries around the world, has decided to switch suppliers – instead of going with American-made condoms, it will use cheaper off-short condoms, including some made in China. The move is expected to cost about 300 American jobs.

The switch comes despite implied assurances over the years that the agency would continue to buy American whenever possible. “Of course, we considered how many U.S. jobs would be affected by this move,” said a USAID official who spoke on the condition that he would not be named. But he said the reasons for the change included lower prices (2 cents versus more than 5 cents for U.S.-made condoms) and the fact that Congress dropped “buy American language” in a recent appropriations bill. Besides, he said, the sole U.S. supplier — an Alabama company called Alatech — had previous delivery problems under the program.

Alatech runs a condom factory in the town of Eufaula, Alabama.

China models brand new condom styles for USAID representatives!

The government is close to accepting condoms from two offshore companies: Unidus Corp., which makes condoms in South Korea, and Qingdao Double Butterfly Group, which makes them in China. Condoms from those companies will likely carry the USAID logo — two hands shaking over red and white bunting.

In the Great Depression, Congress passed the Buy American Act, meant to give domestic suppliers an advantage over foreign companies in winning government contracts. But the most recent congressional appropriations bill, passed two weeks ago, did not contain a buy-American provision for condoms, as it had in the past.

Our Thoughts

:

1. They make condoms in Alabama?? We thought they just made banjos and stuff.
2. Is the USAID really going to use condoms from places like China? China? Isn’t there something like 500 billion people living there? Something tells us that Chinese condoms don’t work so good…

Actually, we are only half-joking on that second point. There is a story that came out in 2007 about bad Chinese condoms, which you can read here.

Tens of thousands of condoms provided free by D.C. to curb HIV-AIDS have been returned to the health department because of complaints that their paper packaging is easily damaged and could render the condoms ineffective. Demand at two distribution sites in Southeast set up by nonprofit groups plummeted more than 80 percent after the condoms, in a mustard-yellow and purple wrapper, were introduced this year. More than 2,000 packets a week were scooped up in mid-March, but by late May, only 400 were being given away each week. Volunteers concerned about why interest had dropped began asking people who had picked up the condoms. They were told about packets ripping in purses or bursting open in pockets. As a result, recipients said they had little confidence that the condoms would offer protection. In addition, expiration dates on some of the Chinese-made condoms were illegible.

Condom Costume!

Oh, point #3: China businesses have the best names… Qingdao Double Butterfly Group? Great name for a condom… the “Double Buttefly” sounds like some kind of awesome sexual position.