The Maker of Trojan™ Brand Condoms Partners with the CDC Foundation to Provide Condom Donation to Help Reduce the Threat of Zika

EWING, N.J., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Church & Dwight Co. Inc., the maker of Trojan™ brand condoms, announced today it has donated more than 150,000 condoms to aid the CDC Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) efforts to help prevent the spread of Zika virus to women who are pregnant or may become pregnant. Trojan™ Brand Condoms will be included in Zika Prevention Kits being distributed in areas of high risk including the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa as well as the Republic of the Marshall Islands. CDC intends to send at least 43,000 additional kits to areas with mosquito-borne Zika transmission.

The purpose of the kits is to inform pregnant women and women considering pregnancy about Zika virus, its risks and how to avoid infection, while also providing an initial supply of prevention tools, including educational materials; condoms; insect repellent; permethrin spray repellent for treating clothing, gear, and bed nets; and standing water treatment tabs. The kits, in addition to other public and private sector interventions, are part of CDC's response to the Zika virus outbreak.

"Zika presents a grave public health threat to high-risk areas with mosquito-borne transmission, such as Puerto Rico, and a lack of understanding exists around the transmission of Zika through sexual contact, which is unlike many other mosquito-borne diseases," said Bruce Weiss, Vice President of Marketing for Trojan™ Brand Condoms.

"Education is critically important, in addition to ensuring those in need have access to condoms and other tools to prevent the spread of Zika. We are proud to partner with the CDC Foundation and through these kits provide condoms free of charge to those at risk—and  educate on the importance of using a condom each and every time during sex because of the Zika threat. Condoms are the only method of contraception that protects against both unintended pregnancy and STIs," said Weiss.

Zika virus is spread mostly by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito, but it can also be passed during sex by a man who has Zika to his partners ¹. Based on recent evidence, sexual transmission of the virus may be more common than previously thought². There have been 157 pregnant women with Zika infection and 10 people who were infected with sexually transmitted Zika in the United States³. Men and women who live in or travel to an area with Zika who are concerned about trying to get pregnant should talk to their healthcare provider. CDC recommends pregnant couples with male partners who live in or travel to areas with Zika, should take steps to protect their pregnancy. These couples should use a condom every time they have sex or not have sex during the pregnancy. To be effective, condoms must be used correctly from start to finish, every time during vaginal, anal, and oral (mouth-to-penis) sex⁴.

"We appreciate how companies, such as Church & Dwight, have answered the call when the public health community began to understand the threat of Zika and reached out for assistance," said Dr. Judith Monroe, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. "The contribution from the Trojan team is an excellent example of the public-private partnerships needed to combat the Zika outbreak."

The CDC Foundation advances the mission of CDC through philanthropy and public-private partnerships that protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation activated its U.S. Emergency Response Fund and Global Disaster Response Fund in February 2016 to further assist during the Zika response. To aid efforts to help reduce the risk of Zika to pregnant women, the CDC Foundation announced in early March a partnership with CDC and multiple donors to create the Zika Prevention Kits.

More information about the Zika virus and sexual transmission can be found on CDC's website (http://www.cdc.gov/zika/transmission/sexual-transmission.html).

In addition to helping combat the spread of Zika virus, the maker of Trojan™ brand condoms is committed to investing in public health efforts to support sexual health. Last year, Trojan announced the launch of a 10-year partnership with the National Coalition of STD Directors to donate more than 1,000,000 Trojan brand condoms to health departments across the country every year for 10 years.

About TROJAN Brand Condoms
Trojan™ Brand Condoms are America's #1 condom, trusted for over 100 years. Trojan™ Brand latex condoms are made from premium quality latex to help reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Every condom is electronically tested to help ensure reliability. There are more than 30 varieties of Trojan™ Brand Condoms. More Americans trust the Trojan™ Brand than any other condom. The maker of Trojan™ Brand Condoms is committed to investing in public health efforts to support sexual health. For more information, visit www.TrojanBrands.com.

Contact
Lindsey Cooke
212.704.8299
[email protected]

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¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016, April 15). Transmission & Risks. Retrieved April 15, 2016, from    http://www.cdc.gov/zika/transmission/index.html
² Chan, M., MD. (2016, March 8). WHO Director-General addresses media after Zika Emergency Committee. Retrieved April 15, 2016, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2016/zika-ec/en/  
³ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016, April 13). Zika virus disease in the United States, 2015–2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/united-states.html
⁴ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016, April 14). Prevention. Retrieved April 15, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/index.html

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