Condoms at the gas station?

[PureLithium]

Okay, this is probably an incredibly stupid question but my naive friend has me wondering. Are condoms at the gas station less effective than buying them from say a drug store such as CVS or Walmart? They're Trojan brand and the expiration dates are fine.

So..I don't see a problem with them but my friend is on her high horse about this. Any opinions or troubles with buying condoms from local gas stations? Also, is there a minimum age you have to be in order to purchase them?

[Harmony♥]

Hey Alex,
Condoms you buy from the gas station are just as effective as the ones you'd buy from say, CVS or Wal-Greens. You just have to make sure that they're expiration dates are okay. If the expiration date has already passed, don't buy them and inform the person working of the issue so they can put up to date ones on the shelves.
This is a common misconception, but assure your friend that it's fine to buy them for gas stations.

[toxxxic21]

i dont see any problem...as long as the experation date is still a while away and theyve been kept at a safe temperature......and i dont think you need to be a certain age to buy condoms....but im not sure (never bought any before :P )

[wonderbread]

Shannon is right. Just because they are from the gas station doesn't mean they aren't just as effective. If they are they same brand as the ones at any other store like Walmart or CVS and whatnot they are just as effective. The reason she most likely says this is because the condoms that are on the shelves at gas stations tend to expire before they are bought and people buy out dated condoms without looking at them. So when they are outdated let the clerk know. No there is no age in which you have to be to buy them. Now Im sure if an 8 year old try to buy them it wouldn't fly but technically an 8 year old could buy them.

[ertyuio]

A Snickers bar at Wal-Mart is the same Snickers bar as the one you get from the gas station. Your friend's just being overly picky about it. :P

I'm pretty sure that there's no age regulation on when you can purchase condoms. I know that in New York, there's no minimum age -- but I can't really speak for many other places. But, I'd be willing to bet that in most places in the U.S., you'd be fine if you wanted to purchase them below 18.

[Brandon]

Let's say that you have a gas station, and a grocery store. The gas station needs to stock up on Trojan condoms, and so does the grocery store. They both order the products from the same company, so it makes no difference whether you buy a Trojan condom from a gas station or a Trojan condom from a grocery store. The difference is typically the price. It also depends on the type of employees that are working there. I work at a grocery store, and I've seen products that have been messed up and aren't as effective being put on the shelves for people to buy. It could be possible that an employee poked a hole through the condom as a joke, or it could've been damaged in the process of putting it on the shelf. Typically though, condoms are properly taken care of, but it's always a good idea to ensure that there's no hole in the condom, and that it's not expired. As far as the age range, I'm not sure. I've bought condoms from CVS and they didn't card me (but then again, I'm 21), and I helped a couple purchase some condoms who looked to be about 17-18. So as far as I know, you don't have to be a certain age to buy condoms; you just have to be over 18 to go to sex shops that have content not allowed to be seen by people under the age of 18. So you shouldn't have a problem with purchasing condoms (besides the awkwardness) at any kind of store that's for all ages.

[Allons-y!]

You don't have to be 18 to purchase condoms at major chain stores (Walmart, Walgreens, etc). Smaller independent stores in conservative areas may have their own ideas about that (but then, they probably wouldn't stock them either if that was the case), but larger stores don't care. My friends used to buy them all the time as jokes, and I imagine there would be a lot of uproar if you had to be over 18.
Generally, I'd buy them at a store vs gas station because gas stations tend to only stock smaller supplies (like, you'd buy 1-3 instead of a box of, say, 14). Also, I just don't like buying things from gas stations because most gas stations where I live are fairly seedy.

Yeah, that's right: I'm high class, so I go to Walmart. :P :P

[Gingerbread Latte]

Hey there,

Like everyone else said they're just as effective. However, around where I live I know certain people (usually young teenagers) think it's funny to go in smaller shops to put safety pins through the boxes (since in supermarkets they're move protected) which could cause holes in the condoms so I'd suggest checking for damage on the boxes before you buy just to make sure.

[Bibliophile]

I honestly think that it'll be fine! Check the condom for holes before you do anything, though, if you're not completely sure. Also, be sure to check the date on the box!
Good luck. (: