Condom Ad Claim as AIDS Prevention Approved

Condom distributors have been given a government green light to advertise that latex condoms can help prevent the spread of AIDS.

They had been barred from making that assertion on their own until this week, even though Surgeon General C. Everett Koop and other government officials have been saying it for them for months.

The permission to include anti-AIDS benefits in advertising and labeling is included in Food and Drug Administration guidelines dated Tuesday and made public on Friday.

Although condom labeling typically has said condoms are intended to prevent the spread of disease, manufacturers had not been allowed to make specific claims about their effectiveness in preventing acquired immune deficiency syndrome or other diseases.

FDA spokesman David Duarte said the guidelines were in response to applications from several manufacturers seeking permission to mention AIDS in their labeling and advertising.

Provides Suggested Wording

A letter from the FDA to all U.S. condom manufacturers, importers and repackagers is accompanied by an example of what the agency would find acceptable labeling and gives blanket permission for claims that do not depart “significantly” from the suggested wording that reads in part:

“When used properly, the latex condom may prevent the transmission of many sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydial infections, genital herpes and AIDS. It cannot eliminate the risk. For maximum protection, it is important to follow the accompanying instructions. . . .”