Busting the myths, exploring the options and learning about the value of correct sizing.
There’s a whole host of information about condoms online, and unfortunately some of this comes under the heading of ‘misinformation’. Getting it right with condoms is one of the most important things about sex, both for contraceptive purposes and sexual health reasons, so you need to make sure that you’re up to date with the correct information about their usage so you can make an informed choice about which ones are best for you.
First of all – use a reputable source like British Condoms. Personal blogs, magazine articles and the like are all very well for the anecdotal side of things, but for the pure facts you should head to an expert website.
Top 4 Condom Myths.
- 1.It’s safer to use two condoms rather than one. DEFINITELY NOT! Condoms have been specifically designed for single use and in today’s sophisticated condom market they are more advanced than ever before. We’ve come a long way from the caveman solution of wrapping lamb’s intestine around the penis and crossing fingers. If you add another condom on top, the likelihood is that they will either rub against each other which can do two things: create so much friction that both of them split, or the friction will cause slippage and they’ll both come off. You only need ONE condom.
- 2.Condoms are uncomfortable and reduce sexual pleasure. Condoms should never feel uncomfortable, if they do then the chances are that you’re not using the right one for you. They come in a range of options from the ultra-thin, barely there ones, to larger sizes and thicker ones to help prevent premature ejaculation. There is a whole selection of materials, shapes, sizes and added textures for extra pleasure. If you aren’t sure about what’s going to suit you then check out the multipacks which will give you a few different options to try. Experimenting can be part of the fun!
- 3.Using lube isn’t a good idea. Some condom users believe that using lube will cause the condom to slip off, or it’ll perish the material. Just not true. Some condoms even come with added lube as standard. Using one of these products can help increase comfort and pleasure and reduce the risk of condom breakage – what more could you want from a lube?! There are various different ones to try, some of them double as massage gels, and you can get warming ones, tingling ones and flavoured ones. Just be careful that you use the right one for your condoms, water-based lubes are usually the safest and steer clear of oil-based ones if you’re using latex condoms (which the vast majority are).
- 4.Condoms break easily. Condoms should not break – end of. They’ve been purposely designed for their exact use, and these days they undergo testing while they are in production to make sure that they’re up to standard. If you’re using them correctly, they are 99% effective. Things that can cause them to break include using the wrong size, not using them correctly, using them after the expiration date (always check! That condom you got from a train station in 2010 is not going to be suitable to use, even in an emergency). Also, using oil-based lube with latex condoms significantly increases the chance of them breaking because it affects the material.
Size Does Matter.
Contrary to what we’re always being told about the role of size in sexual intercourse, when it comes to condoms it’s actually very important. Their entire purpose is to prevent unwanted pregnancy and STIs and if you’re using the wrong size then their efficacy is greatly reduced. Too-large condoms increase the risk of them slipping off entirely, and too-small ones are more at risk of splitting through being too tight.
Luckily, British Condoms has an extensive selection for you to choose from and multipacks of different ones if you aren’t sure what’s going to suit you the best. Browse through your options (with or without your partner) to see the full range of flavoured, textured, ultra-thin, glow-in-the-dark and even female condoms.
