A vibrating condom has become the latest target of Hindu nationalists who have outlawed sex education in many schools and suggested teaching teenagers yoga instead.

Authorities in the central state of Madhya Pradesh are planning to ban sales of Crezendo condoms, which have a “vibrating ring” in each pack, on the ground that they should be considered sex toys.

“Condoms should be used for family planning,” said Kailash Vijayvargiya, the public works minister for Madhya Pradesh, which is governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These are sex toys to be used for sexual satisfaction,” he told The Times. “I’ve instructed government officers to check if there is a law against such things. If there isn’t a law, we’ll make one.”

His remarks are the latest evidence of how efforts to promote condom use are thwarted by conservative attitudes towards sex in the nation that produced the Kama Sutra. However, that the condoms were on sale shows how rapidly sexual taboos are disintegrating among the young, largely because of exposure to Western culture.

Crezendos, released nationwide six months ago, advertise themselves as “your passport to the Republic of Pleasure”, promising “a 20-minute joyride through the realms of vibrating pleasure”. Each pack contains three condoms and a tiny battery powered vibrator attached to a ring, which is designed to sit at the base of the condom and stimulate the man and the woman during sex. The vibrator is re-usable, but its battery lasts for only 20 minutes, according to Hindustan Latex, its state-owned manufacturer.

The company denied that Crezendos were sex toys and said that they helped to combat HIV/Aids by encouraging condom use in India, which has one of the world’s highest HIV caseloads.

“Lack of pleasure is cited as a major reason for not using a condom and the importance of increasing condom usage cannot be overemphasised in the present context,” it said.

Industry insiders say that premium condom brands such as Crezendos are becoming increasingly popular among young Indians as they become more open about sex and indulge more in pre-marital intercourse.

This month, India’s first “condom bar” opened in the northern state of Punjab. The initiative is certain to raise eyebrows among more orthodox residents. But its backers say that there is a serious purpose behind the scheme as the aim is to promote HIV and Aids awareness.

Also this month, health officials in the western state of Gujarat gave free condoms outside pornographic movie halls.

Elsewhere, conservative attitudes prevail. Madhya Pradesh was one of six states that banned sex education in schools in March, arguing that flipcharts showing how bodies change during puberty were too graphic. Two schools in Bombay have banned all public displays of affection, under threat of disciplinary action.

Safety first

650m condoms sold annually in India, one of the world’s three largest markets along with China and Japan

80% of India’s five-year, £1.2 bn HIV/Aids prevention programme is dedicated to promoting condoms

50% of pregnancies in India are estimated to be unplanned

Sources: Centre for Global Development; ORG Centre for Social Research; durex.com

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