No Condoms in Pinar del Río

HAVANA TIMES — A shortage of condoms at pharmacies in the city of Pinar del Rio, the westernmost province of Cuba, shows once again the perils of the island’s centralized purchasing and distribution networks.

According to several administrators consulted by the official Granma newspaper, the latest installment of this contraceptive came in December, and sold out that same month of 2014.

No one can explain with certainty the cause of the problem, says Granma. One pharmacy manager said she thinks the deficit is motivated by “a problem at the factory in Havana “.

In mid-2014 a similar shortage occurred in pharmacies around the island.

The STD health risks of such a shortage are well known as well as the possibility for an increase in the number of abortions due to unwanted pregnancies.