Marie Stopes Dragged to Court over Allegations of Selling Defective Lifeguard Condoms

Joseph Kintu and Sulaiman Balinya, have sued Marie Stopes Uganda to court  after they used defective  marie stopes Lifeguard condoms that burst during sex, leading to the contraction of HIV/Aids.

Marie Stopes UG is Uganda’s largest and most specialised sexual and reproductive healthcare organisation, providing a wide range of high quality, affordable, client-centered services.

Currently, Marie Stopes UG provides approximately 60% of all contraception in Uganda, and focuses on reaching the most under-served communities. These communities are predominantly young, living in poverty, and reside in hard-to-reach rural locations and urban slums.

In November 2019, Sarah Opendi told the parliament that the two batches of Lifeguard condoms [No. 1904205 and No. 19050105] where illegally rolled to the public and without following the prescribed procedure by Marie Stopes.

According to Joseph Kintu, in October, 2019, he bought a packet of Lifeguard condoms batch No 1904205 from a drug shop in Kapeeka, Nakaseke but the condom burst during sex, hence exposing him to unprotected sex. “Having tested HIV-negative, twice before in June and September 2019, the first plaintiff (Kintu) tested HIV-positive on the November 6, 2019,” reads part of the plaint.

Sulaiman Balinya also claimed that he contracted gonorrhoea after he  had used Marie Stopes  Lifeguard condoms.