A condom is a device, usually made of latex, or more recently polyurethane, that is used during sexual intercourse for the purpose of preventing pregnancy and/or transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV.
 Condoms in many colors
Condoms are also known as prophylactics, as well as a number of colloquial or slang terms, such as rubbers.
Disadvantages
Many complain that putting them on can interrupt foreplay and lovemaking, although some people have integrated wearing a condom as part of the entire process for sexual activity (this doesn't apply to female condoms, which can be put on 8 hours prior to sex).
Because of an obvious barrier of the skins, sensory stimulation is sacrificed, especially with older style thicker condoms, causing some people to dismiss condoms as limiting their pleasure (though this effect can be largely overcome by properly applying lubricants internally and externally). However, a woman can partially solve this problem by training her vaginal muscles, specifically the pubococcygeus.
Duron/Polyurethane versus latex
Advantages:
Polyurethane can be considered better than latex in several ways:
- It conducts heat better than latex
- It lasts longer in storage
- It does not degrade in oil- or water-based lubricants, also it does not degrade as readily as latex
- It is suitable for those with latex allergies. It is widely used in internal medicine such as artificial hearts, pumps, and blood vessel catheters
- Polyurethane condoms have no smell, unlike latex condoms
- Polyurethane condoms are smoother than latex ones
- Unlike latex condoms, which must be stored at a reduced temperature range to avoid degradation, polyurethane condoms have no such requirements
Disadvantages:
- Clinical failure (breaks and slippage, together) of polyurethane show significantly higher rates over latex use
- It is more expensive than standard latex condoms
- It may not be as effective in protecting against STDs. This uncertainty comes from lack of testing
Proper Use and Condom failure
 Male condom application
Condom failure rates can vary depending on usage. People who use condoms "perfectly" have a failure rate of 3%. Typical usage of condoms (mistakes in application, failure to use them every time, and other failures to follow the directions) can bring the failure rate up to 15%.
Most condom failures are due to misuse. This has led some researchers to suggest age-appropriate sex education that includes how to use a condom properly.
The packaging often contains instructions for use, and often suggests lubricants.
Another possible cause of condom failure is sabotage. One motive is to have a child against a partner's wishes, known to be done by men and women alike. Saboteurs usually pierce the condom's tip multiple times before intercourse. As this can result in pregnancies unwanted by one of the participants, it is generally seen as a deceitful and unethical act. However, websites exist that provide advice on sabotage to women who want children against their male partner's wishes.
Recently, condom manufacturers are becoming aware that "one size does not fit all". Improper fit of condom to penis is being cited as a risk for condom slippage, breaking, and leakage.
Effectiveness of preventing STDs
According to a 2001 report by the National Institutes of Health, correct and consistent use of latex condoms:
- reduces the risk of HIV/AIDS transmission by approximately 85% relative to risk when unprotected
- reduces the risk of gonorrhea for men by approximately 71% relative to risk when unprotected
Other studies have shown that the proper and consistent use of condoms prevented HIV from spreading from an infected partner to a non-infected partner in every case.
While studies may show different results, every scientific study verifies that sex without a condom increases the chances of transmitting an STD when compared to sex with a condom.
Other sexually-transmitted infections may be affected as well, but they could not draw definite conclusions from the research they were working with. In particular, these include STIs associated with ulcerative lesions that may be present on body surfaces where the condom doesn't cover, such as human papillomavirus (HPV), genital herpes simplex (HSV), chancroid, and syphilis. If contact is made with uncovered lesions, transmission of these STIs may still occur despite appropriate condom use. Additionally, the absence of visible lesions or symptoms cannot be used to decide whether caution is needed.
Health issues
Carcinogenic nitrosamines have been discovered in 29 out of 32 condom brands tested by the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Institute in Stuttgart. However, there have been no studies linking the use of condoms to an increased risk of cancer and a 2001 study from the University of Kiel concluded that humans regularly receive 1,000 to 10,000 times greater nitrosamine exposure from food and tobacco than from condom use and concluded that the risk of cancer from condom use is very low.
Some lubricated condoms are produced with dusting powders, such as talc, which aren't recommended by the University of Virginia School of Medicine for surgery because of "acute & chronic problems" that may arise if the powders find their way into the abdominal cavity (i.e. via the vagina).
Condoms lubricated with the spermicide Nonoxynol-9 may increase the user's risk of contracting the HIV virus and other sexually transmitted diseases. For this reason, Planned Parenthood has discontinued the distribution of condoms so lubricated, and the Food and Drug Administration has proposed a warning regarding this issue.
Latex condoms used with oil-based lubricants (e.g. vaseline) are likely to break due to rapid deterioration caused by the oils.
Female condoms
Recently "female condoms" or "femidoms" (not to be confused with femdoms) have become available. They are larger and wider than male condoms but equivalent in length. Female condoms have a flexible ring-shaped opening, and are designed to be inserted into the vagina. The female condom also contains an inner ring which aids insertion and helps keep the condom in place inside the vagina. Inserting the female condom requires squeezing this ring. Sales of female condoms have been disappointing in developed countries, though developing countries are increasingly using them to complement already existing family planning and HIV/AIDS programming. Probable causes for poor sales are that inserting the female condom is a skill that has to be learned and that female condoms can be significantly more expensive than male condoms (upwards of 2 or 3 times the cost). Also, reported "rustling" sounds during intercourse turn off some potential users, as does the visibility of the outer ring which remains outside the vagina. The rustling noise can be mitigated by the application of lubricant. This type of condom is made from polyurethane, though newer iterations are made from nitrile.
 Female condom
In September 2005, the primary global manufacturer of female condoms — the Female Health Company of Chicago, Illinois — announced the introduction of a second-generation FC2 Female Condom made from nitrile. The Female Health Company noted that the second-generation nitrile female condom performs statistically the same as its polyurethane precursor in preventing the transmission of HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and unintended pregnancy. The nitrile female condom has also been designed to mitigate the "rustling" noise that some consumers have attributed to the polyurethane female condom. The nitrile material of the second-generation female condom will also allow for significant reductions in female condom pricing because it can be produced with a new manufacturing process that allows for efficient economies of scale when made in mass quantities.
On November 22, 2005, the World YWCA issued an international Call to Action for the Female Condom that called on national health ministries and international donors to commit to purchasing 180 million female condoms for global distribution in 2006. The World YWCA statement, which was signed by General Secretary Musimbi Kanyoro and World YWCA affiliates in six African nations, claimed that "Female condoms remain the only tool for HIV prevention that women can initiate and control", but that they remain virtually inaccessible to women in the developing world due to their high unit cost of 72 cents per female condom. The World YWCA claimed that if the global public health sector will commit to buying at least 180 million female condoms in bulk, the price of the female condom will immediately decline by more than two-thirds — to 22 cents per female condom. Currently, only 14 million female condoms are distributed to women in the developing world on an annual basis. By comparison, between 6 and 9 billion male condoms are distributed per annum.
Female condoms have the advantage of being compatible with oil-based lubricants as they are not made of latex. The external genitals of the wearer and the base of the penis of the inserting partner are more protected than when the male condom is used. Inserting a female condom does not require male erection. (Boston Women's Healthbook Collective, 2005: 336-337)
The instructions for use of female condoms are of necessity different from those of male condoms, since they are inserted rather than worn, and designed to drape around the penis, rather than to fit tightly over it. They are as follows:
- The condom should be removed carefully from the packaging
- The small inner ring should be squeezed closed
- The inner ring should be pushed into the vagina, the outer ring remaining outside
- The penis should be guided through the outer ring to ensure that it is not pushed aside
- Before removing the condom, the outer ring should be squeezed and twisted (while the wearer is still lying down, if applicable) to ensure that semen does not leak out of the pouch. Pull to remove the condom
- Any "rustling" can be counteracted by applying extra lubricant to the inside of the condom. This is also the course of action to take if the outer ring is pulled into the vagina during intercourse (Boston Women's Health Book Collective, 2005: 337-338)
A new, updated female condom is being developed by PATH, a medical technologies NGO, that is claimed to be easier to put in as well as less awkward to use. A second iteration of the original female condom is also in development by the Female Health Company that would be cheaper and easier to use.
|
