From PHILIP KESTELMAN
Feedback (15 June) was mistaken to discriminate between American and
Japanese condom sizes. National standards in Japan (1985), the UK (1989)
and the US (1989), and the new International Condom Standard (1990), all
prescribe the same minimum length (160 mm). Whether this reflects universal
human erect penile dimensions remains moot, as published studies are conspicuously
lacking.
Most west European national standards prescribe testing for leakage
by measuring condom electrical resistance in a 1 per cent saline solution.
However, this technique is incompatible with British, Scandinavian and international
standards, which prescribe testing condoms for holes with 300 ml of water.
Fortunately, condom leakage is now comparatively rare, so this difference
of approach is not critical. The main source of failure is condom breakage;
yet Japanese, UK and US standards fail to prescribe condom total strength,
which causes inflation.
Concluding 15 years of debate (1975 – 90), the world’s first International
Condom Standard (ISO 4074) now prescribes air-testing for local weakness.
ISO 4074 minimum bursting pressure and volume exert a condom axial force
exceeding 20 newtons; that is, over seven times the force exerted by saline
or water-testing.
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In 1989, both the Consumers’ Association and the Consumers Union (US)
reported a few condom brands which satisfied water-leakage requirements,
but failed ISO 4074 air-bursting requirements; thereby substantiating anecdotal
reports of excessive breakage in practice.
Unfortunately, pending the conclusion of a European Condom Standard,
the British Standard cannot adopt ISO 4074 air-bursting requirements. It
is earnestly to be hoped that the European Standard will soon prescribe
condom total strength.
Philip Kestelman London SE13
