Condoms for 12-year-olds hit shelves

A company in Switzerland is cashing in on the country's high rate of youth sex by making extra-small condoms.

A Federal Commission for Children and Youth, which surveyed 1,480 people aged 10 to 20, found that more 12- to 14-year-olds are having sex now than in the '90s, and that many don't use protection.

Meanwhile, in a German survey of 12,970 13- to 20-year-olds, a quarter of respondents said a standard condom is too large.

That's where the Hotshot comes in. While a standard condom is 5.2 centimetres in diameter, the Hotshot is 4.5 cm. The length is the standard 19 cm.

Switzerland's age of consent is 16, but if the age difference isn't more than three years, there will be no punishment.

Manufacturer Lamprecht AG is producing the condoms.

"At the moment we are only producing the Hotshot in Switzerland. But the UK is certainly a very attractive market since there is a very high rate of underage conception. The UK would definitely be top priority if we marketed abroad,² company spokesman Nysse Norballe told the UK Telegraph.

The mini-condoms will be sold over the counter, online, and distributed to young people via sex educationalists.

Canoe.ca