Explaining inconsistencies between data on condom use and condom sales

Survey data remains unreliable, hampering estimates of the number of condoms needed for different target groups

Analyses of data on the annual number of condoms sold and distributed reveals very erratic patterns. Consequently, available data on the number of condoms sold and distributed yield a very poor indicator of the actual number of condoms sold to consumers and the level of condom use. However, the ability to estimate the number of condoms used from survey data would be a useful tool for programme managers, as it would enable estimation of the number of condoms needed for different target groups.

The results of this survey from Measure show that estimates of both the number of sexual acts and number of condoms used varied greatly, based on the estimation method used. For several surveys, the highest estimate of the annual number of condoms used is tenfold that of the lowest estimate. Moreover, it is impossible to determine which of the remaining methods yield the most accurate results. The study concludes that, until the reliability of these various estimation methods can be established, estimating the annual number of condoms used from survey data will not be feasible.[adapted from author].

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Explaining inconsistencies between data on condom use and condom sales