Last Updated on October 17, 2024 by Nivedita
Quick Take
Several social media posts claim that Sri Lanka made condoms free for people aged 18 to 25. We fact-checked and found the claim to be False. Through our research, we found that France, not Sri Lanka made condoms free for the mentioned age group.
The Claim
Several Facebook posts in the Sinhala language claim Sri Lanka has made condoms free to youth aged between 18 and 25. The posts even have a graphic logo of Hiru News, one of the major broadcasters in Sri Lanka.
Fact Check
Did Sri Lanka make condoms free for people aged 18 to 25?
No. We researched and found that Sri Lanka never made condoms free for people aged 18 to 25. No such a statement has been made by the Family Health Bureau and the National STD/AIDS control programme in Sri Lanka.
This initiative in Sri Lanka reflects a growing trend in health policy aimed at increasing access to reproductive health resources, similar to efforts in other countries to address health concerns, such as the recent developments in the Philippines regarding stomach disease treatments.
A keyword search on Google search found a similar graphic published on Hiru News’ Facebook page. This post has a link to an article published on the Hiru News website. This article informs that President Emmanuel Macron announced that youngsters will receive free condoms in an effort to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases in France.
A report by France24.com confirms that President Macron has released an official statement to confirm the claim.