Durex owner thinks love-making is worth $190

Too expensive? Durex is sold in packets at prices of $9-$38. Photo / AP

The boss of Durex defended the cost of condoms, saying: "Good sex should cost £100".

Rakesh Kapoor, 59, chief executive of consumer and drugs giant Reckitt Benckiser, was responding to questions about whether its condoms should be cheaper given the importance of safe sex, reports Daily Mail.

He said: "There is a social purpose to make sure the price does not become any excuse for not using condoms responsibly. But Durex condoms are really very cheap. Put it this way: how much is the price of great sex, and how should we price that?

"I keep telling my people, and I am very serious, that we are underselling Durex by a factor of ten. In my opinion a beautiful sexual experience should be £100 (NZ$193)."

In the UK, Durex is sold in packets at prices of £5-£20 (NZ$9-38). Reckitt said the brand had grown strongly as it posted overall group sales of £3billion (NZ$5.79billion), up 4 per cent for the half-year to June.

A major boost came from China where population growth is lifting sales at its infant and child nutrition divisions.

Reckitt, which owns brands such as Clearasil, Gaviscon and Dettol, suffered a major cyber-attack last year, but profits for the half-year are now up 9.5 per cent to £1.1billion (NZ$2.12billion).