Two men prosecuted after importing fake Durex condoms

Have you ever purchased condoms from a company called ‘Trade Express UK Ltd’? If you have, we’d suggest disposing of them immediately and buying condoms from Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy instead – all condoms we offer to patients are actually genuine!

In fact you can pick up a pack of 72 individually wrapped genuine Durex Performa condoms right now from Medical Specialists™, a highly reputable and trusted source, for the low price of just £60. You should only ever obtain medication(s) and products from a fully-registered pharmacy that puts its patients’ needs at the core of its operations.

Our advice follows the prosecution of two men who served as directors of the company after they were found guilty of selling counterfeit condoms to their unsuspecting customers.

The males, aged 46 and 49, were shown little mercy by the court and hit with suspended jail sentences, financial penalties, and other punishments.

For selling the fake condoms, the men have each received eight-month prison sentences -  suspended for two years, are now forced to undertake a whopping 200 hours of unpaid work and are forbidden from being a company director for seven years.

In a demonstration of how serious the trade of counterfeit goods and medicine is taken, the court also decided to implement a confiscation order against the pair, totalling approximately £15,000 ($25,000), and both will have to shell out for costs of around £10,600.

The punishments came about after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) investigated the two men – directors of the company Trade Express UK Ltd – and discovered the middle-aged men were importing fake Durex condoms into Britain.

Then the UK Border Agency swooped onto Felixstowe port in May 2012 and intercepted a shipment of 25,200 packs of counterfeit Durex condoms that were being brought into the country from China, with the men pleading guilty in January of this year.
 
John Wilkinson, the MHRA’s Director of Medical Devices, said: “People should be aware that if they buy condoms from illicit websites there is no guarantee that the product that arrives will be safe to use or of good quality. Counterfeit condoms look real but they are badly made and anyone using one has a higher risk of catching a sexually transmitted disease or having an unwanted pregnancy.”

Counterfeit condoms seized in Russia, policeman rejects bribe

On Tuesday members of a southern Russian police force confirmed they had apprehended a male in connection with the sale of counterfeit condoms and the subsequent attempt – and failure – to bribe a police official.

Rostov Region police released a statement saying: “The police learned that the man was selling a well-known brand of condoms wholesale online. Finding that the salesman was not connected to the production company, police officers carried out a test purchase by ordering 15,000 items.”

The suspect apprehended in police custody had initially personally delivered the counterfeit condoms on a truck from the Ukraine, and was arrested as he attempted to load the condoms onto another vehicle.

The statement also revealed that on the very same day the man was detained, he had tried to bribe a policeman with 40,000 rubles ($1,237) for ‘looking the other way’ and not seizing the counterfeit condoms. Unfortunately for the counterfeiter, the policeman did the correct thing and followed protocol, reporting the attempted bribe to his superiors.

With the prevention of the fake condoms making their way to the unsuspecting public, the cargo was seized and police are expected to begin a criminal case on attempted bribery charges.

However, what is unclear from the statement released by the police, is the actual danger that counterfeit condoms can pose. None of the counterfeit condoms are properly sterilised and their quality is almost always so substandard that they can easily rupture during use and thus cannot protect against sexually transmitted infections or even act as a viable contraception method.

Governmental agency has seen an alarming rise in the circulation of counterfeit condoms and have even enlisted the help of specially trained sniffer dogs who have assisted in a series of raids as the MHRA look to crackdown on the production and sale of the poor quality condoms. The practice is said to cost the UK up to around £400 million in lost tax, additional healthcare and welfare.

Your sexual health should never be compromised and all contraception such as condoms should only be obtained from a trusted and reputable source such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy.

Coincidentally, it is actually still Sexual Health Week (running up to the 22^nd) and to support the week and raise awareness, Medical Specialists have been giving away 1,000s of free condoms this week with all sexual health products. Whether this be Viagra, Cialis, Azithromycin, or a Clamelle chlamydia test kit, you will receive free Skins condoms!

In addition, during Sexual Health Week we are running a fantastic promotion on Durex Performa condoms,  slashing the price of a pack of individually wrapped 72 Durex Performa condoms by half…yes half! These can be yours today for the rock bottom price of just £30!

Condoms boost friendly vaginal bacteria

There are a multitude of reasons you should always use a condom during sex. The two most glaringly obvious ones are that this helps to prevents the contraction of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – although there is still a risk with oral sex if no condom is used – and they also severely minimise the chances of an unwanted pregnancy. Using condoms could be viewed as a mature act, showing you take care of your sexual health and are responsible.

The benefits of condoms may extend beyond these factors though, according to a Chinese study which found that sexually active women who use condoms have boosted levels of friendly bacteria called Lactobacillus within the vagina.

Lactobacillus is present in different areas of the body such as the digestive, urinary, and genital systems and supplements of the bacteria are sometimes given to women suffering with vaginal infections or urinary tract infections (UTIs) – although Trimethoprim is still one of the most effective treatments for both cystitis and various other urinary tract infections.

In the vagina, the production of lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide from the Lactobacillus is generally believed to be useful for protection against bacterial vaginosis (BV).

BV is the most common type of vaginal infection and is brought on when there is too much ‘bad’ bacteria and not enough of the ‘good bacteria’. Health experts are still not sure what causes the imbalance to occur but often the risk is increased if: you smoke, are pregnant, have a new sexual partner, have several sexual partners, use scented soap or bubble bath or use vaginal deodorant.

The common symptom is a vaginal discharge which may become very thin and watery, with an unpleasant odour and appear grey or white in colour. Other symptoms include pain after sexual intercourse and pain when urinating.

The Researchers involved in the study at the Beijing Friendship Hospital, assessed the vaginal bacteria of 164 healthy, sexually active married women in China, varying in age between 18 and 45 years old.  All women were not using a hormonal method of contraception.

From the 164 participants, 72 women used condoms, 57 used an intrauterine device (IUD), and 35 were using the ‘rhythm method’. This is where a couple forgoes sexual intercourse during the period of a woman’s cycle when conception is more probable.

Following analysis, it was found that the women using condoms had a 95.8% prevalence of lactobacillus. This was in comparison to just 84.2% in the IUD group and 88.6% in the rhythm group. In addition, a primary factor of normal vaginal microbial flora – L. crispatus – was actually 20% more prevalent in the group using condoms compared to those using an IUD.

The researchers say their study, published in the journal PLOS One, suggests that condoms are beneficial in helping the vagina to maintain its natural acidic defences. “As a perfect barrier, condom can help maintain the vaginal acidic buffer system and the vaginal lactobacilli population when sperm enters vagina during sex,” the researchers wrote.

However, with so many counterfeit condoms  in circulation across the UK and other areas around the world, condoms and other contraception methods should always be obtained from a highly reputable source such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy. You can rest assured that each medication or product dispensed to our patients is 100% genuine. We have a wide range of both Durex and Skins condoms at great prices from our chemist shop, including an incredible deal of 72 Durex Performa condoms for just £60.00!

The bubble bursts for condom counterfeit ring in China

Police in China have broken up a huge counterfeit ring responsible for the production of millions of fake branded condoms including variations of Durex, Contex and Jissbon.

According to reports, underground workshops were found to be operating in central and eastern China and police in Jinjiang, in the Fujian province, are believed to have seized more than 4.6 million fully-packaged fake contraceptives that have a combined worth of around 47.7 million Yuan (£5.1 million). In addition, 1,100 pounds of unpackaged condoms were also found.

The game was up for the counterfeiters in February when a police officer in the Fujian province realised that a store on Taobao.com, China’s biggest online shopping website, were selling suspiciously low-priced condoms considering they were apparently ‘branded’ contraceptives. After purchasing some from the store, tests were conducted on the condoms and unsurprisingly they were found to be counterfeits. The phony condoms being offered on the online store were then tracked to a number of illegal workshops.

Information released by Chinese police officers last week confirmed that 37 suspects from Fujian, Zhejiang and Henan provinces were apprehended following police raids on the workshops that occurred on 29 March.

During one of the raids; a workshop in the countryside of southeast China’s Fujian province, police discovered dozens of workers in a poorly lit room. The workers were busy on a production line applying lubrication to the condoms. The dangerous fake contraceptives were stacked up high ready to be shipped off to the unsuspecting public, and police commented that the cheap oil lubricants used on the condoms left a disgusting odour in the room.

It has emerged that one of the two main figures behind the counterfeit ring is a man surnamed Liu. Allegedly, he began his operation in December of last year, purchasing raw latex from a factory in Hebei – the surrounding providence of the capital, Beijing. Cheap lubricants were then applied and the phony condoms were packed up in bags and boxes that bore the names of well-known brands. According to police, Liu’s workers were producing up to an incredible 20,000 fake condoms each day; each costing 0.17 Yuan (£0.02) to produce and then sold on for 1 Yuan (£0.11).

After interrogation, Liu admitted to police that the condoms produced in his workshops were mainly sold on the internet, and through small vendors, pharmacies, supermarkets and rural sex toy stores.
This comes just a month after Ghana was hit with a ‘major public health issue’ after one million condoms provided to the country’s health service were shockingly discovered to have holes in them and were susceptible to bursting easily. The condoms were from the branded ‘Be Safe’ line, all imported from China.

“When we tested those condoms, we found that they are poor quality, can burst in the course of sexual activity, and have holes which expose the users to unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease,” Thomas Amedzra, head of drug enforcement at the Ghanaian Food and Drug Authority, commented to the Guardian newspaper.

It seems that Chinese police are upping the ante however in their quest to beat the counterfeiters. Just last week, £21 million of counterfeit designer goods were set alight and destroyed in an extravagant public event which they surely hope will show the world they are cracking down on the illegal trade. Everything from counterfeit cigarettes, handbags, cosmetics and even wine, were all thrown onto a fire in Guiyang, southwest China’s Guizhou Province.

Male and female contraception should only be purchased from a highly reputable source such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy. Every medication or product dispatched to our patients is 100% genuine and their health is at the core of our business practice. We have a wide range of both Durex and Skins condoms at great prices from our chemist shop. However, if you suspect you may have used a low-quality fake condom, we offer a Clamelle chlamydia test kit for just £24.85 which can be used in the privacy of your own home to prevent an embarrassing visit to your GP. Or, if you have been diagnosed as having chlamydia or gonorrhoea, the antibiotic Azithromycin can prevent the spread of the bacteria so that your body’s natural defences can fight back and remove the infection from your system.

U.S. study shows condoms don’t affect the satisfaction of sex!

According to the findings of a new study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, it doesn’t matter if condoms and/or lubricant are used – sex is still enjoyable regardless!

Dr Debby Herbenick, from the School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University, led the nationally representative ‘probability’ study of men and women in the U.S. Dr Herbenick comments: “This may be because men are more likely than women to purchase condoms and to apply condoms. However, it’s important for more women to become familiar with the condoms they use with their partner so that they can make choices that enhance the safety and pleasure of their sexual experiences.”

Therefore, this could hopefully banish one of the feeble reasons for a lack of condom use and subsequently resulting in a risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or an unwanted pregnancy.

Some partners – often those in committed long-term relationships- refrain from using condoms. Maybe it could be that the male is relying on his partner to take her birth control pill, there may be some degree of embarrassment involved in actually purchasing them to begin with, or even an assumption on either partner that the use of a condom will detract from the enjoyment/arousal involved in the whole process of foreplay and sex.

However, it would appear that both condoms and lubricants used during ‘safe sex’ do not take anything away from sex and it seems that the majority of women are unsure whether or not a condom is lubricated and what type of material the condom is.

Data analysed in the study came from the 2009 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behaviour, which involved an online questionnaire aimed to deduce the habits of 18-59 year olds in regards to sex, condom and lubricant use. The researchers when looking at the data, specifically wanted to know characteristics of condom and lubricant use during the study participants’ most recent sexual event as well as any affiliation between their condom and lubricant use to their judgement of ‘sexual quality’.

It was found that over twice as many women were unable to tell if the condom was lubricated (26.6% vs. 11.4%) or from what material it was made from (23.6% vs. 8.9%). The American study also found that in general, men did not find it difficult to maintain their erections with both condom and lubricant usage.

Dr. Herbenick spoke on the seriousness of promoting sexual health, the danger of sexually transmitted infections such chlamydia and gonorrhoea, saying: “The U.S. continues to grapple with high rates of sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and unintended pregnancies. We need to understand how people make choices about the products they use (or avoid using) and how these products contribute to the safety and pleasurable aspects of their sexual experiences. This is particularly important as the products themselves evolve and become more mainstream in American society. We also need to understand what men and women know, or don’t know, about the products they use so that we can better target public health education messages to individuals and groups.”

Of course the threat of STIs is rife throughout the world and is not an issue that is restricted to the United States. However through using condoms in the correct manner, the threat of contracting one can be minimised. At Medical Specialists Pharmacy we believe that more needs to be done by the government to educate people of all ages about how serious they are, in addition to debunking the myths about STIs.

Due to the recent news that millions of counterfeit/ineffective condoms have been found in the UK,  it must be stressed that male and female contraception should only be purchased from a highly reputable source such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy. Every medication or product dispatched to our patients is 100% genuine and their health and well-being is the primary core of our business practice. We have a wide range of both Durex and Skins condoms at great prices from our chemist shop, including a recently added deal offering an incredible 72 Durex Performa condoms for just £60.00!

Millions of fake condoms in circulation across the UK

The government’s health regulator has warned that an ever-increasing number of counterfeit condoms are managing to be smuggled into the United Kingdom.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency (MHRA) say that in fact millions of bogus, dangerous fake condoms have been illegally imported into Britain in the previous 18 months.

Family planning experts stress than the fake condoms increase the risk of transmission of Sexually Transmitted Infections such as chlamydia, genital herpes, gonorrhoea, as well as failing to properly protect against any unwanted pregnancies. Tests have been conducted on the fakes and an alarmingly high burst rate has been discovered in them.

Danny Lee-Frost, senior investigator at the MHRA, said: “These products are made in the Far East for pennies and then sold over here for pounds. They will cut corners. They will cut costs. They will use cheaper ingredients and materials.”

Mr Lee-Frost advises men to be vigilant and says that the counterfeit condoms are primarily being sold in corner shops, newsagents and market stalls. He continued: “It’s vital that people buy condoms from well-known reputable retailers and pharmacies.”

Only last year, authorities seized roughly £1.5 million worth of counterfeit condoms at Heathrow Airport and that haul was just the latest in many that are happening across the country according to Trading Standards.

Incredibly, in the battle against the millions of fake condoms in circulation, trained sniffer dogs have even been drafted in to detect bogus condoms. Authorities have resorted to such drastic measures after growing concern that the counterfeits are becoming increasingly difficult to spot against the genuine articles.

Paul Maddox is currently training the dogs to sniff out and fake condoms and comments: “I was really surprised when I found out about the problem. I’ve heard about counterfeit medicines but I never thought condoms would ever be an issue. When we’ve trained the dogs up we managed to find a chink in the counterfeiters’ armour and we’ve exploited that. That’s why the dogs have been successful.”

One reporter actually put the fakes to the test and approached two males on the street, 25 year old Jay Dhadwa, and 24 year-old Ricky Dixon, asking them if they could distinguish the genuine condoms from the fakes.

Mr Dhadwa said: “I can’t believe they aren’t the real deal. They look and feel exactly like real ones. They’ve got the expiry date on the back too and the kite mark. It’s impossible to tell.”
Danny Lee-Frost commented: “They certainly look the part. Many people would think it’s the proper article .If you’re not buying it from a reputable source, it’s odds on that it is counterfeit and you shouldn’t go anywhere near it.”

As Mr Lee-Frost states, contraception for both men and women should only be purchased from a highly reputable source such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy. Every medication or product dispatched to our patients is 100% genuine and their health is at the core of our business practice. We have a wide range of both Durex and Skins condoms at great prices from our chemist shop. However, if you suspect you may have used a low-quality fake condom, we offer a Clamelle chlamydia test kit for just £24.85 which can be used in the privacy of your own home to prevent an embarrassing visit to your GP. Or, if you have been confirmed as having this or gonorrhoea, the antibiotic Azithromycin can prevent the spread of the bacteria so that your body’s natural defences can fight back and remove the infection from your system. We also have the medication Valtrex working out as costing just £3.50 per tablet, which works by slowing the spread of the herpes virus.