HAVANA, Cuba -- Despite published reports about a shortage of condoms in Cuba, a majority of Havana drugstores were carrying the prophylactics, according to NBC News.
The Miami Herald published reports from Cuban bloggers noting a shortage of condoms in state-run pharmacies in some parts of Havana, though they said they were available at higher prices at shops that cater to foreign visitors.
The Ministry of Health could not answer NBC News about supplies around the city. But calls made by NBC News around the city found about 19 of 27 pharmacies - over seventy percent - were carrying the prophylactics.
Condoms however are in short supply in Cuba’s second largest city, Santiago. Last weekend, the Cuban newspaper Trabajadores ran an editorial warning consumers that an error had been made in the supply chain, and the condoms stored in government warehouses had the wrong expiration date. Public health officials issued the warning while noting the rise in sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infections in the city.
