Guide to Non-lubricated condoms
For most people there will come a time during sexual intercourse where a little bit of lube comes in handy. Natural lubrication can fluctuate for a woman depending on where she is in her cycle, or – to be frank – the mood that she’s in. So it makes sense to choose a condom that comes ready prepared for easier sex, doesn’t it? Well in fact no, this doesn’t always apply. Ready lubricated condoms are all very well, but they don’t offer much choice in the lube department, what you have is all you’re going to get. Plus, the fact that they may very well not be the right choice for you and non-lubricated condoms might be. What do they have to offer? Read on to find out…..
- They are more versatile in some situations. Oral sex, for example. You don’t have to worry about a horrible taste or your tongue going numb. Neither of these are going to add anything positive to your sexual experience! So bear this in mind when you’re selecting your condoms.
- You get to choose your own lube. It might seem easier to just pick a condom that already has it, but this actually restricts your choices. If you’re personally undertaking this task then you have options for the amount you use, for example. The old adage ‘less is more’ can very well apply here. You can slather it on or just add a little bit to make things slightly smoother. The point is that you can tailor the amount to what you want. Similarly, you can choose the type (depending on which non-lubricated condom you pick), silicone or water-based or oil-based if that’s safe to use with the condom. And lastly, you can choose the flavour that you want – making it ideal for oral sex. There are a whole host of options out there so just go through and find the one that appeals to you the most. Using non-latex condoms gives you more control over the whole experience, you can knit the various elements of choice together however you wish to.
- These type of condoms can also be re-purposed giving them a bit more versatility. Not in the same sense that they were originally used of course (very, very few condoms are suitable for this), but they can be cut into a dental dam. This is another barrier method whose purpose it is to protect against STIs. Obviously there’s no risk of pregnancy with sperm in the mouth, but the risk of passing on nasty STIs remains the same and a dental dam cuts the risk of this substantially. Just in case you aren’t familiar with the function of a dental dam, they are basically sheets made out of latex or polyurethane which are used between the mouth and vagina/anus during oral sex. Some people might not feel that that’s a necessary precaution, but it really is worth bearing in mind that with non-lubricated condoms you do have this option open to you, making your sexual experience a bit safer from that perspective. If you want to explore the concept of dental dams a bit more, then head here for some more info.
- Allergies can be a pain and especially in the bedroom. Hay fever is unpleasant at the best of times – do itchy eyes, a runny nose and constant sneezing ring a bell anyone? But displaying allergy symptoms in the bedroom is a whole different matter. So using non-lubricated condoms is a great idea if you happen to be allergic to some of the ingredients in the personal lubricants that are available commercially. You can go for silicone or water-based options – whichever you find that suits you best and reduces the risk of your skin becoming intensely irritated when it should be intensely pleasured. Basically, non-lubricated condoms can potentially zap any irritation or unpleasant symptoms that might come from existing lube. It’s also worth mentioning here that most allergy symptoms are just annoying, rather than life threatening, but there are some which are potentially very serious and at the top end of the scale is an anaphylactic reaction. This is where someone reacts so badly to the irritant that their throat begins to swell up and it can cut the airway off, causing a cardiac arrest or suffocation. Not a nice thing to contemplate but if you generally suffer from allergies then it’s one to bear in mind and if you think this might be you then opt for the non-lubricated type of condoms because they will give you far more choice about what your body comes into contact with.
As with all choices, you have to find the best fit for your personal situation. Weigh up the pros and cons and just be aware that there are condom products out there on the market for you which might be better than others.
