You are Under Arrest for Owning Condoms

Picture this. You are a female who buys some condoms online and keeps a few in her purse for “emergencies.” You are walking down the street or having a drink at a singles bar and the police approach you, search you and arrest you for suspicion of prostitution. It would never happen here, but it was business as usual in New York City until the middle of last year. Some cities in the US still have this strategy in their “law enforcement” arsenal.

Risk of Bringing Condoms?

So, how did it work? Police in New York would target people suspected of being sex industry workers. They would confiscate the condoms as “evidence” and never return them, even if the cases went to trial. In New York, the city spends more than $1 million to give condoms away for the prevention of STI’s and unwanted pregnancies.

This put New York City in the unenviable and nonsensical position of one city agency giving away condoms and another arresting people for having them. In 2010, the New York City Department of Health surveyed 60 sex workers anonymously. More than half reported that police had confiscated condoms from them at least once. The worst result: nearly 33% said they no longer carry condoms because they were afraid of being arrested.

In 2012, a group called the “Human Rights Watch” conducted a larger survey, covering 197 sex workers in San Francisco, Washington, New York and Los Angeles. The exact numbers aren’t available, but a large number said they either limit the number of condoms they carry or they don’t carry any at all.

What it Means to You

Luckily, carrying condoms isn’t a crime in Australia. We are free to buy and carry as many as we want with no fear of being accosted, arrested or otherwise hassled.

While You’re Here...

If you want to buy condoms online, you are in the right place. Feel free to browse our site for as long as you like. If you have any questions, call 1300 4 CONDOMS.