| PaulKing 2004-10-29, 7:06 pm |
| Sobering news for rubber contraceptive users.
_
A German scientific research institute has warned that most condoms on
the
market contain a cancer-causing chemical and has urged that their
manufacture be subjected to stringent quality control.
_
The Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Institute in Stuttgart said on
Friday it had found the carcinogen N-Nitrosamine in 29 of 32 types of
condoms it tested in simulated conditions.
_
The condoms, which were kept in a solution with artificial sweat, exuded
huge amounts of cancer-causing N-Nitrosamine from its rubber coating.
Researchers measured amounts of N-Nitrosamine, that were way above the
prescribed limits for other rubber products such as baby pacifiers.
_
"N-Nitrosamine is one of the most carcinogenic substances," the study's
authors said. "There is a pressing need for manufacturers to tackle this
problem."
_
The study said that the carcinogen is thought to be present in a
substance
used to improve condom elasticity. When the rubber material comes in
contact with human bodily fluids, it can release traces of N-Nitrosamine.
_
No immediate health risk
_
But since there are no prescribed limits of N-Nitrosamine for condoms,
the
study hasn't caused panic among manufacturers or mass-recalling of the
products from counters.
_
Local government officials said condom users should not stop using rubber
contraceptives based on the results of the study because N-Nitrosamine
does not present an immediate health risk.
_
The Baden-Würtemmberg Social Ministry said it didn't think "it posed a
risk."_Authorities are also withholding the name of the affected
manufacturers for fear of litigation.
_
Manufacturers should use alternative substances
_
But Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment said that daily
condom
use exposed users to N-Nitrosamine levels up to three times higher than
levels naturally present in food.
_
Werner Altkofer, head of the Stuttgart-based Chemical and Veterinary
Investigation Institute said that though the production of rubber usually
uses chemicals that can exude N-Nitrosamine, condom manufacturers could
bypass it by using more expensive alternative substances available on the
market that didn't form the carcinogen.
_
"We believe that it's up to the manufacturers to use other production
processes so that no N-Nitrosamine is formed in condoms," Altkofer said.
_
He added that the latter was technically possible going by the fact that
products of some manufacturers didn't show traces of the carcinogen
during
the testing.
_
Beate Uhse taking no chances
_
Germany's biggest erotica compnay_Beate Uhse however, has decided to play
it safe.
_
Shortly after the results of the study were introduced on Friday, the
group banned chocolate-flavored condoms from its range. That was because
the study had show that condoms laced with a chocolate flavoring had
overwhelming high levels of N-Nitrosamine._
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