Condom Labeling Bill Put on Hold

A state bill that would have required tough new warning labels for condoms sold in California has been pulled from consideration in the Legislature by its Republican author.

The legislation, passed unanimously by the state Senate, would have made California the first state to require more detailed condom warnings than those required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Debate in the Assembly will be postponed until next year.

The bill had cast the state into the center of an ideological and medical debate over condoms’ effectiveness.

Critics see condom warning labels as a stealthy attempt by conservatives to promote abstinence at the expense of safe sex. Opponents also say that people won’t stop to read the fine print in the heat of passion.

But Sen. Jim Battin (R-La Quinta), the bill’s author, said he was merely trying to ensure truth in labeling for condoms.

“If you’re going to engage in sexual activity outside of a monogamous relationship, then wearing a condom is a smart thing to do,” Battin said. “It’s also very important for people to know that they don’t protect you against everything.”

Battin pulled the bill so he could try to address concerns raised by opponents on the Assembly Health Committee

Last month, the National Institutes of Health released a report saying that more studies are needed to determine whether condoms are effective at preventing sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV and gonorrhea.

Battin’s bill would require labels warning that condoms do not fully guard against transmission of human papilloma virus, or HPV. The most common sexually transmitted disease, HPV is believed to affect about 20 million Americans.

HPV is spread by genital secretions, but can also be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact in areas not protected by a condom. The virus is the leading risk factor for cervical cancer, which kills nearly 5,000 women annually. In most cases, HPV is harmless, but it sometimes manifests itself through genital warts.

Battin said his wife’s 1994 battle with cervical cancer motivated his legislation. Although her cancer was not related to HPV, he learned of the strong link between cervical cancer and HPV.

“Had she not had cervical cancer, I probably would not have had the awareness and sympathy to carry the bill,” Battin said.

Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) argues that warning labels would complicate efforts to fight HIV. Even without warning labels, he worries that people are starting to practice unprotected sex because they are bored with condoms.

“Some people will choose more preferable sex and a chance of death over safe sex,” Koretz said.