The Members of the Executive Council for Health in Mpumalanga, South Africa, or MEC for short aren't happy with elderly folks' choice of using condoms for other purposes aside from safe sex. Many pensioners use the lubricant inside condoms to alleviate joint pain.

Some believe condoms have other effective uses besides preventing unwanted pregnancies and STDs. However the Members of the Executive Council for Health in Mpumalanga, South Africa, or MEC for short don’t agree with that thought.

In the local area, elderly folks have been sharing their tips for alternative condom uses. The advice was spread around even more after a newspaper report misquoted a speaker and wrote the condoms can help those who suffer from arthritis.

Many pensioners use the lubricant inside condoms to alleviate pain to their joints. Others take a different approach and use them for shining shoes and cleaning CDs.

Since MEC got wind of the radical purposes, authorities decided to issue a warning, believing it was irresponsible to utilize them for anything other then safe sex, especially in cases of medical problems.

A spokesman for the Health Minster said “There is no scientific evidence to suggest that the lubrication of a condom can cure arthritis, and we are appealing to members of the public not to use condoms for any other reason than that for which they are intended.”