HIV Digest	HIV Digest Archive

In Washington, D.C., where one in 20 residents are HIV-positive, an informal survey found nearly half the leading drugstore chain's stores, 22 of 50, lock up condoms. Most of these CVS stores are in less affluent areas where the incidence of STDs, including HIV, and unwanted pregnancy are highest. Other area stores, including Safeway, Giant, and suburban Shopper's Food & Pharmacy Warehouse, also lock up condoms in stores that report a high incidence of theft.

Public health experts are alarmed by the practice, noting that locking up condoms discourages their use.

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Christine Spencer-Grier, who directs community education at Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, said the practice puts sexually active teens at risk. Spencer-Grier runs a program that helps teen moms avoid another pregnancy. In one exercise, girls venture out to buy condoms and report on their experiences. Many of the teens, she said, come back saying they were too embarrassed to buy condoms once they realized they had to ask for help. Others reported they received dirty looks or a lecture about being too young for sex. Many girls left the stores empty-handed and ashamed, but still likely to have sex, she said.

CVS spokesperson Mike DeAngelis said locking up condoms is merely a response to theft. "We're not trying to restrict access, we're trying to prevent people from stealing," he said, citing shoplifting rings that resell condoms on the street. Lockups are determined on a case-by-case basis, he added.

Editor's Note: from the Washington Post