In troubled Venezuela, condoms now cost $700 a pack
Posted: February 4, 2015 - 2:02pm

CARACAS -- In oil-rich Venezuela, the economy hinges on healthy gas prices, and right now, they're well below what it needs. That's led to a litany of problems, including shortages of staple foods such and chicken and sugar. Many life-preserving medicines are also in short supply. But there's one product, in particular, that has become both hard to find -- and nearly impossible to afford if you can: condoms. Bloomberg Business reported on the dearth of contraceptives Wednesday, finding prices on a popular online shopping site at $755 for a 36-pack. That's more than the country's "minimum monthly wage," Bloomberg reported. Store shelves have been bare as far back as December, the network noted. Access to condoms is particularly important in Venezuela for a number of reasons. The country has one of South America's highest rates of HIV infection -- one nearly triple the rate in the U.S. It has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy, and abortion is illegal. "The country is so messed up that now we have to wait in line even to have sex," Jonatan Montilla, a 31-year-old advertising art director, told Bloomberg. "This is a new low." "I ran out yesterday. Now, there's next to nothing, and what you find is really expensive. You can't take any risks." Venezuela, a South American country of about 30 million people, is heavily reliant on oil to power its economy. The country imports most of its goods, leaving it vulnerable to supply shortages.