Wiz Khalifa recently tweeted about how quarantine babies were the new Valentine’s babies. But as Indians prepped for a 21-day lockdown last night after PM Modi’s announcement of it, many citizens of the overpopulated country decided to be considerate. In an effort to not go overboard with what experts are calling a “coronavirus boom” that will see a generation of “quaranteens” by 2033, they added condoms and other kinds of contraception to their list of essential items to stock up on.Condom retailers and pharmacies report that people’s idea of protective gear isn’t only face masks. They’re also going big on buying condoms, causing sales to go up by 25 to 50 percent. “People now have a lot of time, and they are bored at home,” Harshal Shah, a medical store owner in South Mumbai told Hindustan Times, adding that while people would usually pick up packs of three, they are now buying packets with 10 to 20 condoms.“There has been an increase in the sale of condoms and other birth control products,” said an employee from an Apollo pharmacy in Delhi, adding that the demand has been so high, it’s superseding the supply. Pharmacists across the country seem to echo similar sentiments, with many even pointing out that unlike before, women are not shy about asking for contraceptive products, including emergency contraceptive pills whose sales are reportedly much lower otherwise."People are anxious and living at home,” Rajiv Mehta, a psychiatric consultant at Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) told Economic Times.”Couples, married or otherwise, who were too busy with their professional lives are now getting proximity and time. So intimacy will increase as it has increased during wars. This is a war-like situation.”But even those who don’t have a quarantine cutie to shack up with are trying to cope with the hard times. Which is why, even the demand for sex toys has shot up, according to what an online sex toy store told Hindustan Times. However, since the Janta Curfew on Sunday, March 22, and the current lockdown situation, these websites are finding it hard to keep up with the rising demand since vibrators and fleshlights can’t legally be sold at pharmacies. Consider this our petition to add sex toys to the list of essential services so that single people don't feel left out.Follow Shamani Joshi on Instagram.
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