Collective action: Trojan condoms are toxic

Trojan condoms are not safe because they contain toxic products that have been linked to cancer, accuses a Montreal lawyer in a lawsuit dating from last month.

• Also read: Contaminated condoms: Trojan prosecuted in American courts

In her proposed class action filed in the Superior Court, Andrea Grass, of the Actis Law Group firm, takes up the broad outlines of a similar lawsuit filed in the United States in September.

Trojan brand ultra-thin lubricated condoms are “unfit for use,” says the Quebec lawsuit, because they contain PFAS which are absorbed by the human body.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in the manufacture of lubricants, cosmetics, sunscreens, pesticides and non-stick cookware, among others.

“Numerous studies have shown that PFAS exposure/absorption is linked to, among other things, thyroid disorders, immune system damage, various types of cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility/reproductive problems, diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma,” writes Me Grass.

Health Canada has been studying the health impacts of PFAS since 2021, without however having reached definitive conclusions on the content of the risks they pose.

The lawyer is seeking punitive damages for all those in Quebec who purchased ultra-thin Trojan condoms marketed by the company Church & Dwight Canada.

By applying ultra-thin Trojan condoms to their private parts, “incredibly vascular areas,” men would increase their risk of absorbing PFAS, argues Mr. Grass.

Church & Dwight Canada is a subsidiary of Church & Dwight Co., an American company. The Trojan condom is, she says, “Canada’s #1 condom.”