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.