Condoms

Let’s talk about gloving for loving!
Condoms, when used correctly, are 98% effective in preventing unwanted pregnancy. They are also extremely effective in preventing sexually transmitted diseases. 
Using them correctly means using a new condom for every act of penetrative sex, including putting it on correctly and removing it correctly (see below)!
I know, very few people actually *like* condoms. However, that’s often because we aren’t taught to use them correctly!

Condom Use Tips:

• Use lube! Just because one sexual partner may produce natural lubricant, that doesn’t mean they’ll always produce enough to prevent painful friction- lubrication waxes and wanes throughout the sexual activity, and may be affected by dehydration, menstruation, and a variety of other reasons. You can also put a drop or two *inside* the condom for maximum comfort.
  
• Water-based lube only! Oil based lube will break down condoms. So will heat, so don’t store them in your wallet or your car. 
  
• Always check the expiration date. Always. Latex breaks down. 
  
• When putting on a condom, pinch the tip, then roll it down the shaft of the penis. This can be a part of foreplay! Consider this a time to practice some erotic massage techniques in the process so that it’s fun for all involved and becomes a part of your sex play instead of an interruption to it. 
  
• Seriously, pinch the tip- ejaculation can be up to 25mph!
  
• The condom should fit snugly, and you’ll want to reach down and check on it every once in a while, to be sure. 
  
• Spermicidal condoms are ineffective (aside from their being condoms) and can cause irritation to the receptive partner. 
  
• Don’t ever double up your condoms- it will cause friction and make both more likely to break! 
  
• When removing it, make sure you’ve pulled out of your partner completely while holding onto the condom- don’t want to lose it inside them! - and then carefully slide it off and throw it away. 
  

Some other fun condom facts:

• Condoms have been used by humans for at least 15,000-years.
  
• Early condoms were fashioned from sheep intestines. (Yum yum!)
  
• Approximately 25% of all sex acts involving vaginal intercourse are protected by a condom.
  
• About the same rate (26%) of male/male anal sex acts were protected by a condom, and about 13% of male-female anal sex acts. (Note- we realize gender is far more diverse than that binary, but we’re using NIH data that insists on binaries)
  
• As far as HIV transmission is concerned, wearing a condom makes sex 10,000 times safer.