3,600 free condom outlets set up in Shanghai

SHANGHAI - The Shanghai administration has set up over 3,600 condom outlets in areas having high concentration of migrant workers for distributing free contraceptives in a bid to promote safe sex in China’s business capital.

Condoms and other contraceptives were previously only given for free to local people holding a permanent residency permit.

Migrant workers had to pay for them either at stores or from condom vending machines installed in the city’s streets, China Daily reported Saturday.

Over the past two years, officials have tried to make them more available in areas having migrant communities - like like construction sites and railway stations - in an effort to combat HIV/AIDS, said an official at a condom distribution centre, which also dispenses contraceptive pills.

“As a result of the campaign, the number of free contraceptives used by migrant workers has surpassed that of locals,” the official said.

Migrant workers were, however, unsure about the campaign.

Zhu Aiqin, 27, from Anhui province, who works at a local restaurant, said she would not use free condoms, since she could not be sure of their quality, while Xing Dongwei, a 23-year-old security guard, said he would rather purchase them from stores for convenience and to protect his privacy.