Condom sales skyrocket as vaccinated singles get ready for a summer of sex, experts say
- Condom sales increased after slumping during the pandemic, according to market research firm, IRI.
- CNN reported condom sales shot up 23.4% between March and April 2021.
- Manufacturers say the uptick in condom sales could be linked to more singles getting vaccinated.
Condom sales have skyrocketed as hot vax summer approaches and more people sign up to get their COVID-19 vaccine.
US condom sales increased by 23.4% within four weeks in late March and early April, according to research firm IRI, CNN reports. CVS and Walgreens representatives also told the site they've seen a spike in condom sales in the last month - a CVS spokesperson called the increase "substantial."
Condom company executives say young people - who've been forced to social-distance for more than a year - are anxious to date and have casual sex again.
"18-to 24-year-olds can't wait to get their social lives back," Britta Bomhard, chief marketing officer at the producer of Trojan condoms Church & Dwight, told CNN.
Condom companies are optimistic about this upward trend, hoping to recoup losses from the slump in condom sales reported throughout the pandemic.
A Durex condom representative told CNBC condom sales were impacted because "the level of socialization [was] low" during June and July of the pandemic in certain countries, leaving less room for sexual encounters.
According to the Match.com 2020 Singles in America Survey, 71% of singles reported they haven't had sex during the pandemic.
However, trends indicate that things are looking up for both condom sales and sex lives.
In addition to the steady increase of condom sales in the US, condom and sex toy brand SKYN found people reported their sex drives are ramping up, too.
According to the 2021 SKYN Sex & Intimacy Survey, "39% of respondents reported experiencing an increased sex drive since the start of the pandemic."