Sexuality

Buy condoms with your bus card

JDM081217kofi.jpg
Kofi Annan visits an old-style condom vending machine in 2004

The Beijing News reports on one of Beijing's latest attempts to make life more convenient for the city's residents:

Starting today, automatic condom vending machines that look like LCD TV screens will be found near bars, restaurants, clubs, public bath houses, and major construction sites in urban Beijing. Purchasing condoms from the machine requires swiping a public transit "One Card."

Yesterday, the National Community AIDS Prevention Promotional Organization Committee (全国社区预防艾滋病宣教活动组委会) held a briefing in Beijing on the state of condom vending machines. A member of Beijing's AIDS Prevention Work Group said that 5,838 public places and entertainment venues are currently enrolled in the AIDS prevention network, and 1,518 of these have reached an agreement with the city's AIDS Prevention Committee to allow the government to install automatic condom vending machines. During business hours, the smart machines will also broadcast AIDS prevention information. As of yesterday, machines had been installed in 411 locations.

The committee's plans for next year will place smart condom vending machines at several thousand hotels, restaurants, clubs, public bath houses, and major construction sites. For consumer convenience, and for the protection of the machines, the Beijing AIDS Prevention Committee has worked with public transportation departments to allow purchases to be made by swiping a One Card at condom vending machines from now on. The government will supply the condoms, which will be sold for a price of five yuan each.

Older condom vending machines in Beijing were coin-operated, but their use was fairly limited.

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There are currently 3 Comments for Buy condoms with your bus card.

Comments on Buy condoms with your bus card

How much did condoms cost before and do construction workers use transit cards?

I'm still waiting for the stuff bear and ready-to-order ramen noodle machines that Japan has. You have no idea how many times I wish I could grab and go with a cup of Shin Ramyun on the subway.

Omigod, now big brother can track which bus route I took AND the fact that I needed to buy condoms. And then big brother will sell a DVD of leaked data where everyone can find it...

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