New Delhi: Condom sales in India increased by five per cent during the six months from April to September in 2008, National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) said on Friday.
The jump was registered during the period of an extensive mass media campaign run by the organisation, seeking to promote condoms as "any other health product".
"The results show that our campaign aimed at making condoms more socially acceptable by encouraging a discussion on their use has yielded results," said NACO Director General K Sujatha Rao.
The campaign, which included broadcast of TV and radio advertisements, besides use of a mobile ringtone to promote the concept of safe sex reached nearly 15 crore adult men across India.
It was initiated by the BBC World Service Trust in collaboration with NACO.
"The ringtone, which chants 'condom, condom condom' featured in an advertisement broadcast in September and August has become a massive success, with nearly five lakh requests received for download within India and another 160,000 from outside India," said Yvonne MacPherson, BBC World Service Trust's Country Director.
NACO had earlier initiated a campaign to install condom vending machines at public places, including petrol pumps, subways and bus stops. The campaign, according to the organisation, had received "lukewarm response" from the people.
"We were a little mistaken in that effort. In our excitement we installed machines at places which were too public.
"For example, rather than installing the systems on the roadside, we should have done so in places like toilets to lend some privacy to a potential customer," Rao said.
On the status of the acceptability of female condoms in the country, Rao said while its use required much more training and awareness, it has also registered a substantial rise.
"Another significant landmark has been achieved in our campaign to promote female condoms, with the sales expected to rise from 5 lakhs to 15 lakhs by 2015," Rao said.
While the organisation has widened the ambit of its "safe-sex" campaign, it is still not thinking about including the gay community directly into it.
"There is no point openly promoting the use of condoms by gays at present as it may provoke a backlash. We, however, work through a range of NGOs at ground level which promote safe-sex for homosexuals," she said.
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