Ministers await submission on sale of condoms

Press, 12 July 1985, Page 3

Ministers await submission on sale of condoms

Wellington reporter Reports that legal constraints on the sale of condoms may be removed are premature, according to the Minister of Justice Mr Palmer, and the Minister of Health, Dr Bassett.

They said they were expecting a submission from the Health Department but no discussions had been held yet. They doubted that there would be any changes to the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act on the legality of sale to minors of condoms.

The Ministers promised to make a further statement when the department’s submissions had been examined and discussions had been held.

Questions in Parliament showed that no changes had been made to quality control standards for condoms.

Mrs Judy Keall (Lab., Glenfield) asked about quality control standards. Dr Bassett said they were governed by section 6 of the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act. New Zealand standards

had been based on the British standard. This had not been changed although in Britain a change in texture flexibility was being considered.

When Mr Paul East (Nat., Rotorua) asked how condom quality standards were tested, the Speaker, Mr Wall, ruled that question irrelevant. Afterwards, Mrs Keall said she had been prompted to ask the question because safe contraception was an issue of great importance. Recent publicity about the Daikon Shield and Depo Provera had raised fears about the safety of some female contraceptive devices.

Women were looking anxiously for alternatives, she said. The contraceptive pill was not suitable for many women; most breastfeeding mothers were advised to use other forms of contraception; many others could not use the Pill for health reasons. Also, there was concern among both men and women about sexually transmitted diseases.