CarePlus Pharmacy to distribute free condoms to promote safe sex in Co Kildare this Valentine's week

Pictured: Niamh Lynch, Commercial Director for CarePlus Pharmacy, at one of the CarePlus pharmacies CarePlus Pharmacy, Ireland’s fastest growing independent pharmacy chain, is to distribute thousands of free condoms this Valentine’s week to help to promote a culture of safe sex in Ireland-and people living in Co Kildare can visit any of their pharmacies in Kilcock, Maynooth and Celbridge. Each of the chain’s 60 pharmacies nationwide will take part in “Sexual Health Awareness Week” from Tuesday February 12-Tuesday February 19, 2019. The free condoms will be packaged with information on the importance of safe sex, and freely available from the counter without asking in each pharmacy, with several CarePlus pharmacies located in Kilcock, Celbridge and Maynooth to suit Kildare customers. Figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Unit of the HSE show that rates of chlamydia, herpes simplex and gonorrhea are on the rise. For example, people in the age group 15-24 accounted for 51% of all chlamydia cases reported.^[1] CarePlus Pharmacist, John Keane says “The days of people being embarrassed about condoms in pharmacies are long gone, but the statistics show that many young people are not as careful as they should be. People should know that they can talk to their pharmacist, in privacy and confidentiality, about anything including their sexual health.” Condoms are currently considered to a “luxury” item, and subject to the higher rate of VAT. Niamh Lynch, Commercial Director for CarePlus Pharmacy, hopes that will someday change; “Given the impact that STIs can have on people, it’s clear that price should not be a barrier to safe sex. If we can draw attention to the matter by distributing free condoms this week, hopefully it might give rise to a discussion about whether they are still a luxury item in 2019.” CarePlus is a network of franchised pharmacies, owned and managed by community pharmacists, with the aim of providing a superior pharmacy experience in a friendly local environment. The group continues to grow and now operates in over 60 key locations around Ireland. For further information on CarePlus Pharmacy, visit www.careplus.ie