DURBAN - THE South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has encouraged SA citizens to practice safe sex, with the the plea coming as the world observes World Aids Day today.
Lead administrator Jodi Scholtz said that South Africans need to be reminded that the HIV pandemic also requires sustained attention.
“At SABS we take all matters of public health and consumer safety as a priority, while the world is focusing on fighting Covid-19, we also want to remind people that the HIV pandemic also requires sustained attention and that all citizens should continue to practice safe sex by using condoms,” she said.
Scholtz said the SABS has a dedicated condom testing facility that ensures that all batches of condoms are tested in strict laboratory conditions, in accordance with stringent criteria and that consumers can rest assured that all SABS approved products are safe to use.
She added that should the SABS experience any sample failure, the entire batch of condoms is disqualified to ensure that no defective products enter the market.
“The testing and certification of condoms in South Africa is mandatory. The SABS is the appointed certification body for the National Department of Health and National Treasury is contracted to conduct the testing and certification of all public health condoms,” she added.
She added that users take additional safety precautions by visually inspecting the condom packet to make sure that it is not leaking, torn or broken, been exposed to extreme heat or expired.
Condoms help in the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
THE MERCURY