Condoms : How to Avoid Common User Errors
Condoms are 99% effective at preventing pregnancies and STI’s. This is of course, only if you use them properly.
50 studies recently gathered 14 countries during the years between 1995 and 2011 have been analyzed by the Kinsey Institute Condom Use Research Team (KICURT). These studies highlight a number of user inflicted condom errors. Some of the mistakes include using a sharp object to open the packet, putting a condom on too late or by taking it off too early.
These studies found that between 17 and 51.1 % of people put a condom on after sex has already begun and between 13.6 and 44.7 % percent said that they take it off too early. Even at the lowest outliers, 13 % of people is still too many in ONE’s mind. These studies also found that up to 45.7 percent of men surveyed did not leave space at the tip of the condom for semen.
Studies regarding condom efficacy are commonplace however much attention has not been given to how consistently and properly condoms are used by their user. ONE Condoms wants all of our users to safely and properly know how to use a condom. Included in every ONE Condoms packet are detailed instructions on how to properly use a condom. Here’s how to use condoms correctly.
First, handle with care. You should always remember to store condoms in a cool, dry place. Condoms don’t like extreme temperatures. Also, do not use if expired. Tear open the package carefully. Do not use your fingernails, teeth or anything that could damage the condom. Make sure to push the condom away from the foil notch when you are going to tear. Once out of the package, roll the condom on with your fingers before any sexual contact. Remember to pinch the receptacle tip of the condom between your thumb and forefinger. This prevents air from becoming trapped at the tip of the condom and allows space for semen. Use the condom during the entirety of your sex session. Using lubricant will reduce the risk of your condom breaking also. Once finished, hold the base of the condom after withdrawal.
Remember condoms are only effective if used properly. ONE Condoms keeps you protected and informed from harmful and unwanted diseases. Many infections could be avoided by improved user effectiveness. A portion of every ONE Condoms sale goes towards HIV/AIDS prevention efforts at home and abroad.
Stay safe and use ONE everytime.
Friday Links Roundup 2/23/12 - Condoms, Safe Sex, Sex Education
Controversial Condom Campaign to Deliver Free Condoms to Teens
A new federally funded program is delivering free condoms to teenagers in many California counties. The orders are taken online and delivered straight to the teens’ homes in a nondescript envelope.
This free mail-order condom program is supported by the California Department of Public Health and was launched by the non-profit California Family Health Council (CFHC). The initiative, available through teensource.org, provides 12-19 year olds a place to order free condoms online and find locations where they can pick up free condoms from sexual health clinics across the state.
This program is targeting California counties where the number of STD cases are on the rise. Any teen in San Francisco, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Alameda, and Kern counties can receive free condoms through the program.
According to CFHC’s vice president of public affairs, Amy Moy, “We can’t keep our heads in the sand and pretend there isn’t a problem. Research shows barriers such as embarrassment or concerns around confidentiality or affordability,” limit teens from buying condoms.
Some parents aren’t thrilled with the plan however which sends a package of condoms, lubricant and an educational pamphlet to teens. Some parents argue it encourages the 12-19 year old demographic to engage in intercourse. Repeated studies have shown just by providing teenagers with access to birth control and sex education does not encourage this behavior.
Since its launch on February 14th, over 550 order have been placed online.
ONE® Condoms is a supporter of comprehensive sex education and positive sex behaviors. ONE® Condoms aims for universal condom use and safe sex practices. A portion of every ONE® Condoms sale goes towards HIV/AIDS prevention efforts at home and abroad.
Do you think that it’s a good idea to provide free mail-order condoms to teenagers?
Weekly Links Roundup 2/16/12 - Condoms, Safe Sex, Sex Education
Feb 13 is International Condom Day kicking off National Condom Week Feb 14 - 21
To kick off the informal holiday of International Condom Day, in conjunction with Valentine’s Day tomorrow, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest global AIDS organization, will be launching its “Condom-Nation” tour. This tour will consist of a groundbreaking 6 month long 20-state big rig truck tour that will stop in various cities handing out millions of free condoms and safe sex information kits.
The president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Michael Weinstein, says that “Condom Nation is a serious, yet somewhat whimsical and creative effort by AIDS Healthcare Foundation to help promote increased condom use and to help make condoms more accessible and affordable.” Currently, the CDC reports that there are roughly 1.1 million people in the U.S. living with HIV/AIDS and an estimated 20% of these people do not know they’re infected. The U.S. spends approximately $17 billion in HIV/STD health care costs.
The foundations hope is to raise awareness and spark conversations about the importance of condoms and safer sex behaviors. Condom Nation’s goals are to:
- Educate and raise awareness about safe sex practices
- Promote the use of condoms through education and advertising
Events in over 30 cities in 15 countries around the wold will have free condom distribution, HIV testing, and safer sex awareness events hosted by AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
ONE® Condoms is a supporter of universal access and use of condoms for everyone. ONE® donates a portion of every sale to HIV/AIDS prevention efforts at home and abroad.
How will you be celebrating International Condom Day?
Weekly Links Roundup 2/3/12 - Condoms, Safe Sex, Sex Education
NYC Sex Education Mandate Taking Effect
Announced in August 2011, New York City has mandated lessons on sexual health and sex education starting today. Public middle schools and high schools are now required to introduce sex education lessons into health classes.
At least one semester of health education is required in 6th or 7th grade and then again in 9th or 10th grade. Previously, the health classes did not include sex education. This has now changed.
What will be taught includes physiology, the understanding of male and female reproductive systems, recognizing healthy and unhealthy relationships, sexuality and sexual identity, handling unwanted sexual advantages, contraception methods, and how to prevent unwanted STD’s.
The NYC Department of education has implemented a “research-based sex risk reduction curriculum” called “Reducing the Risk”. Research has shown that this helps to increase the use of contraception among teens and increase parent-child communication about contraception. It emphasizes that students should use protection consistently and correctly when they become sexually active.
Students learn to avoid high risk situations and recognize healthy and unhealthy relationships by role-playing situations on resisting pressure to have sex. This has proven to have direct results of safe sex behavior.
The sex education mandate takes effect today in NYC high schools and middle schools.
ONE® Condoms supports sex positive decision making and increased condom use to eliminate the spread of diseases. A portion of every ONE® Condoms sale goes towards HIV/AIDS prevention efforts at home and abroad.
What do you think of NYC’s new mandate on sex education?
Weekly Links Roundup 1/26/12 - Safe Sex, Condoms, Sex Education
Weekly Links Roundup 1/13/12 - Safe Sex, Condoms, Sex Education
Anal Sex More Popular Than Expected Among Heterosexual Couples
Anal intercourse among heterosexual couples under the age of 45 is on the rise in the the United States, according to a Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.
The report, entitled “Sexual Behavior, Sexual Attraction and Sexual Identity in the United States polled thousands of people aged 15 to 44 from 2006 to 2008. The study revealed that 44% of heterosexual men and 36% of heterosexual women admitted to engaging in anal sex at some point in their lives. It is possible that the rates for heterosexual men and women engaging in anal sex is slighting higher in 2012 due to this upward trend.
The rise in popularity of anal intercourse, according to a piece by Pasadena College Gender Studies Professor Hugo Schwyzer, is due to its “frequent appearance in both heterosexual porn and mainstream media as well as an increased pressure from heterosexual male partners.”
Women of generation Y and Z have been slated with expectations of displaying their sexiness at a very young age and are held to standards that previous generations did not endure. Anal intercourse can symbolize both the willingness to please the partner and the persistence to push through potential pain. Anal sex, according to Schwyzer, is the “most selfless of common sexual acts” due to the the amount of pain the recipient can receive during the act. Many sources question the pleasurability of this act for women.
Is this growing popularity of anal intercourse a demonstration of a young woman to prove her devotion to a guy? Is it creating an emphasis placed on a woman’s performance rather than on their own pleasure?
ONE Condoms supports the freedom of expression and the freedom of choice particularly when it comes to sexual behavior and sexual identity. A portion of every ONE Condoms sales goes towards HIV/AIDS prevention efforts at home and abroad.
You can read more on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s report here.
Do you find that anal sex is both pleasurable for you and your partner and do you think that the popularity of these acts will grow more in the future?
