Condom machines reach public

The machine is stocked with the well know OK brand condoms. It is the first of 20 automatic vending machines that will be installed in the bathrooms of restaurants, cafes and public toilets in Hanoi throughout July and August, in an initiative led by the NGO, DKT International.
DKT organises social activities to support family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention in Vietnam.
According to Lin Menuhin, DKT’s deputy director, the condom machines are an important sales outlet for people who wish to use condoms.
“The use of condoms has been a touchy subject in Vietnam. By putting the machines in public spaces, we hope to see people become more comfortable with them,” Lin told Vietnam Investment Review.
He said the machine would operate 24 hours a day in public areas and would familiarise people with the practice of using condoms.
Each condom sold by the machine requires a VND500 coin, compared to VND200 for a condom sold in pharmacies.
The machines were imported from China at a cost of $330 each. DKT estimated that if each machine sold five condoms per day, 100 condoms would be dispensed from the 20 machines.
“We’re not trying to profit from this kind of sales outlet, but rather we want to increase the use of condoms in Vietnam,” Lin added.
He said experience from other countries where DKT had implemented the same project showed the machines to be successful.
“Vending machines used for this purpose are common in many other countries and we hope that they can help Vietnamese people change their habits,” Lin said.
According to Pham Ba Nhat, Head of the Population Department of the Vietnam Committee for Population, Family and Children, the acceptance of condom use is an important step in upgrading reproductive health.
“The machines offer easier access for people and reduce the obstacles in buying condoms. We expect they will increase the use of condoms in Vietnam, reduce unwanted pregnancies and limit the spread of HIV/AIDS and many other sexually transmitted diseases,” Nhat said.
Condom use is still a sensitive issue in Vietnam. Only 20 restaurants and cafes accepted the machines, despite more than 100 being approached.
The project was initiated by EZ Vendor in co-operation with DKT International in Vietnam and supported by the Vietnam Committee for Population, Family and Children.
The initiative was given an award on Vietnam Creative Day 2004 and sponsored by the Danish Embassy in Vietnam.
Last year, DKT sold more than 50 million condoms in Vietnam, increasing the total number sold to more than 360 million since their arrival in Vietnam in 1993.
In the future, vending machines are expected to be installed in other areas such as discotheques, railway stations, hotels and other entertainment centres.