A college student of a Changchun University distributes condoms to passers-by.
Nearly half of the supermarkets at Shanghai's universities are now selling condoms, as part of the effort to help prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
The jury is still out, however, on the effectiveness of this new sales outlet. Some educators and students point out that buying a condom in such a public setting could be unsettling for most young people.
Condoms first became available on campus two years ago when vending machines were introduced. Last month, 47 supermarkets at universities including Tongji and Jiao Tong began selling prophylactics over the counter.
"We're simply providing a product that's in demand," said Fu Guipeng, the local distributor of Durex, a Britain-based condom brand. "Our customers are students, teachers, employees and their relatives."
Condom marketing on campus is done a bit differently than it is in neighborhood supermarkets, he said.
In schools, materials on sex education can be found on the same rack as the condom supply.
"We want to give people, especially students, knowledge about AIDS and other sexual diseases," Fu said.
Local university authorities are giving a discrete welcome to the store sales.
"It is a beneficial change for our students," said Huang Lili, director of Fudan University's family planning office. "As premarital sex does occur on campus, teaching students to use condoms and protect themselves is much better than simply banning the behavior."
Zhu Lin, a student at East China University of Politics and Law, believes most students will avoid the condom rack at the college supermarket.
But compared with the anonymity of vending machines, the store shelf displays are causing some students to worry about privacy issues, Huang said.
"It would be very embarrassing to buy a condom in a place where everybody around knows you," said Zhu.
In her view, most students would rather make these purchases at an off-campus convenience store. A supermarket clerk at Zhu's university supports the student's point.
"There are some students buying condoms, but we haven't seen good sales," she said.
Even so, officials at the city's family planning commission are optimistic about the practice. "Though it takes a long time to promote the use of condoms in universities, it is a must in the effort to control the spread of AIDS," said an official.
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