The FINANCIAL — Georgia imported 17.8 tonnes of condoms in the first eight months of 2014, which is 9.9 tonnes less than the figures of the same period of last year. The total amount of investment in import decreased from USD 564,400 to USD 496,300 in January-August 2014 compared to the same period of 2013. Condoms are mainly imported from Germany, Russia and China.
Only one in three adults in Tbilisi used a condom the last time they had sex – or just 31.8 percent of the more than 300 sexually active Georgians questioned for a recent survey run by The FINANCIAL. The majority of males that tend to have sexual intercourse without condoms are either married or in a monogamous relationship.
90% of respondents stated that their church would strongly disapprove if they knew they used a condom. 30% of those questioned said that they rarely use a condom with their wife or monogamous partner, for religious reasons.
Minimizing the risks of spreading sexually transmitted diseases is the main reason for using condoms among the majority (55%) of male respondents interviewed by The FINANCIAL. Acknowledging the health history of a potential partner with a medical certificate is still an absurd prospect for 89% of respondents.
Only 12% of respondents welcome the decision to present a medical certificate, even if they have never demanded it from their partners. Many males (50%) not only denied the importance of health certificates but also added that they consider the prospect to be humiliating.
Quality is the main criteria when choosing a condom, according to the results.
Condoms are sold at all the main supermarkets and pharmacies. Their price varies from USD 0.5 to USD 3 per piece. Chinese condoms are the cheapest and cost GEL 0.5 per piece.
The most popular and expensive brands are Sico and Durex.
“Condoms are the most widespread contraceptive used by Georgians,” Archil Khomasuridze, head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology division at Tbilisi State Medical University, told The FINANCIAL.
Khomasuridze said that out of the various sorts of contraceptives, prices of condoms in Georgia are high. “They are sold by pharmaceutical shops, so the companies list high prices for the condoms the same as they do for every other medicament.”
Khomasuridze said that using contraceptives has reduced the number of abortions conducted in the country and most abortionists have lost their jobs and main source of income as a result. “Doing abortions is no longer a profitable business in Georgia. Gynaecology used to be a very competitive profession as people made lots of money from doing abortions. However, the Zhordania Institute has already refused to perform abortions and I think that in three years’ time there will be no more abortions being done in Georgia,” he added.
Abortion is allowed by Georgian law during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), since 1973 roughly 50 million legal induced abortions have been performed in the United States. Worldwide, there have been over 1,260,000,000 abortions performed.
A ‘mini abortion’ costs GEL 100 in Georgia. As for a ‘medication abortion’, it costs GEL 147. Through the use of a drug, a medication abortion first causes the pregnancy to terminate and then causes the uterus to expel the products of conception.
In December 2012, a group of Georgian lawmakers initiated unprecedented changes making some kinds of condoms illegal. Namely, those which according to the manufacturers enhance sexual pleasure. According to the proposed amendments only the sales of classic condoms would remain legal. The discussions at Parliament did not find a final resolution and accordingly, the issue was closed.
