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AN ESTIMATED 18 billion condoms will be required to meet the global need in 2015, but only special ones will get approval from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Some 14 manufacturers currently produce condoms for the UNFPA, which are in turn sold to governments and NGOs all over the world.

To mark World AIDS Day, which took place during the week, the organisation has released some condom and sex-related facts:

• According to the World Health Organisation, more than one million people acquire a sexually transmitted infection every day.
• As a method of contraception, condoms are 98% effective when used correctly.
• In case you were wondering, the median duration of sexual intercourse globally is 7.3 minutes.

So here’s what condoms have to go through to be endorsed by the United Nations.

Manufacturers bid to supply condoms for the UNFPA – a process that can take several months. The successful bidders win a contract for three years. Just 35% of manufacturers who have applied since 2001 have passed a rigorous pre-qualification process.

Production of condoms takes from two to 16 weeks, before a process of quality testing begins in a lab. The condoms are then shipped to scores of countries globally.

In 2013, the UNFPA delivered contraceptives to 118 countries.

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