NOVELTY condoms may be fun but they will not protect against an unwanted pregnancy, the consumer magazine Health Which? warns today, writes David Fletcher.
It said the novelties, some of which glow in the dark or play the Beatles tune Love Me Do, should not even be called condoms.
About a million are sold each year and are approved by trading standards officers provided it is made clear they are not intended as contraceptives. One brand, however, is marked only "not to be used as a barrier". David Dickinson, the magazine editor, said: "We need clearer labelling on novelty products. There must be a stronger warning that they will not stop pregnancy or protect against disease."
Researchers tested the strength of 25 brands of condom - more than 8,000 sheaths - and found that quality is improving, with 23 out of 25 brands passing, compared to 25 out of 34 three years ago. The report says holes in condoms are now rare but it warns that up to four per cent break during sexual intercourse.
One brand - Safex Sensitive, which is given out by the National Health Service and carries a Kitemark - failed all the tests. The manufacturers have since withdrawn from the market all its Sensitive and Safeguard Forte condoms made before April 1995 when standards were less stringent.
Mr Dickinson said: "We want to see a legal and mandatory requirement for independent testing to be carried out on condoms."
