Condoms

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• QWhat's the right way to use a condom?

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  Studies of condom use consistently show that people just don't get it right. Don't assume that you know. Although most people perform only three or four steps correctly, there are six essential steps to using a condom properly:
  
  1. Buy only latex condoms and use a new condom for each episode of intercourse, even if you don't ejaculate each time. Make sure you use condoms that say they protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Joke or novelty condoms may not provide protection. Make sure that the condoms have not passed their expiration date, that the foil pack is intact, and that they have not been left too long in a place where they could get damaged (for example, in the sun -- or in a wallet!).
  
  2. Open the package carefully, being sure to avoid damaging the condom with either your fingernails or some other sharp object.
  
  3. Place the condom on the erect penis prior to any intimate contact (some STDs, such as gonorrhea, can be transmitted even without penetration). Roll the condom down to the base of the penis, where the penis connects with the body. Make sure the fit is snug.
  
  4. Leave a space at the tip of the condom and remove any air pockets from that space.
  
  5. Use only water-based lubricants such as KY jelly or spermicidal foam or gel. Never use oil-based lubricants, such as Vaseline, petroleum jelly, lotions, or mineral oil, as these destroy the latex. Also, many condoms are treated with nonoxynol-9, a spermicide and lubricant that seems to provide some added protection against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other types of STD infection. It is probably a good idea to use this type of condom, as it gives added protection just in case.
  
  6. Withdraw immediately after ejaculation, while the penis is still erect, holding the condom firmly against the base of the penis.

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• QHow can I ask my boyfriend to use a condom?

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  A Self chec answered

  You can send a CaringCard at: http://selfchec.org/main/cardshopnew.php. It's a special kind of free greeting card shop that will help your boyfriend understand how important this is to you and your relationship with him.
• QI'm allergic to latex. Can I still use condoms?

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  A Patricia Geraghty, NP , Women's Health, answered

  Yes, there are non-latex condoms available. These used to be mainly mail order items, but can now be found in most pharmacies. Read the labels of the condom packages carefully. The package should specifically state that the condoms are latex-free. If you can't find latex-free condoms on the pharmacy shelf, ask the pharmacist to order them for you or, even better, to regularly stock them.

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• QHow can I help my partner keep an erection when he puts on a condom?

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  A Dr. Madeleine M. Castellanos, MD , Psychiatry, answered on behalf of Good In Bed

  It's often helpful to incorporate putting on a condom as part of sex play. You can continue rubbing or stimulating a guy in other ways while he puts on the condom, instead of both of you stopping and focusing on the condom. Or, put on the condom by yourself, using your hands or mouth, to keep the stimulation and the sexual rhythm going. Adding some store-bought lubricant to the outside of the condom, after it is already on and completely rolled down the penis, can also help to increase a man's sensation, which may help him to keep his erection.
  
  If your guy complains that he can't stay hard during intercourse because of a condom, which often reduces sensitivity, he can try a thinner latex condom, like the Kimono brand, or a condom made from polyisoprene or polyurethane, which may provide even more sensation for many men. Size matters, too: Condoms are available in "snugger fit" and larger sizes to accommodate a range of penis sizes more comfortably.

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• QHow dangerous is it to have sex without a condom?

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  A Dr. Jill A. Grimes, MD , Family Medicine, answered

  Unless the person you are having sex with has never before been intimate with another partner, you are not exposing yourself to just one person when you have sex without using a condom. When you get together with a partner, you are actually hooking up with all of that person's former partners, and everyone those partners have been with, and so on and so on. Think of it as a pyramid.

  This is the number one reason that you can catch a sexually transmitted disease (STD) from having unprotected sex just once. Once might mean once, but usually means five, 10, 50 or 100 exposures.
  When you are sexually intimate with one person, you are exposed to everyone they have hooked up with in their past, and those partners' former partners, and so on.

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• QHow can I get a sexually transmitted disease (STD) if I'm using a condom?

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  A Dr. Jill A. Grimes, MD , Family Medicine, answered

  Condoms absolutely decrease greatly your risk of sexually transmitted infections (STDs), especially for the STDs transmitted via body fluids -- gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV, and trichomoniasis. However, condoms can only cover one area. Diseases that can be transmitted outside that area, by direct skin-to-skin contact, can still be spread despite proper condom use. Which diseases are these? Herpes, HPV (the wart virus), syphilis, and pubic lice (crabs).

  Also, because there is a roughly 10% failure rate of condoms through breakage, there is still a chance (1 in 10) of being exposed to potential disease. Not to mention that in real life studies, condom failure rates are more like 20%, because they are simply not used consistently.
  Condoms are very helpful in decreasing disease transmission, but don't be fooled that simply using condoms guarantees safe sex.

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• QWhat kinds of lubricants should not be used with condoms?

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  A Brigham and Women's Hospital answered

  Petroleum jelly, hand lotion, lipstick, lip balm, or other oil-based lubricants can destroy the strength of condoms, causing them to break. If you would like to use a lubricant with a condom, use a water-based product such as K-Y jelly, Gyne-Moistrin, Astroglide, or lubricating gel. Some condoms are lubricated and will specify as such on the packaging. Contraceptive foams or jellies also can be good lubricants.
  

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• QWhy do some men lose their erection when they put on a condom?

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  A Dr. Madeleine M. Castellanos, MD , Psychiatry, answered on behalf of Good In Bed

  It may sound like an excuse to get out of wearing a condom, but many guys have problems maintaining an erection when putting one on. The interruption of sex play is often distracting, as is the stress of putting on a condom. Other times, deeper concerns, like guilt or performance anxiety, manage to seep into a guy's consciousness when there's a pause in sexual activity.
• QCan we use plastic wrap or a balloon if we don't have a condom?

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  A Carlos Mirabal, NASM Elite Trainer , Fitness, answered

  Absolutely not.  Do not use plastic wrap or a balloon in place of a condom.  Condoms are made specifically for protection while having intercourse. Don't risk anything without using a condom, it is not worth it. Take the time to go get condoms or try to be prepared ahead of time. 
• QHow do I use condoms and lubricants?

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  A Boston Women's Health Book Collective , Administration, answered

  The following guidelines provide basic information on condom and lubricant use:

  • For sex with a man, the condom must cover his penis when it is erect and before it touches your body, especially the vulva, mouth, or anus. Roll the condom over your finger first to see which way it unrolls. If you put the wrong side against the penis by mistake, it might touch fluid, so do not reverse it—use a new one. Be careful not to rip the condom with rings or fingernails.
  • Use a new condom each time you have sex, and have more than one with you just in case.
  • If you or your partner(s) experience irritation with latex condoms, do not despair! The irritation may be due to spermicide (chemicals that kill sperm) on the condom, so try a brand without spermicide—do not stop using condoms. If you experience itching, rash, or dryness, you might be sensitive to latex: Try using a polyurethane condom.
  • Flavored condoms may be more pleasant to use for oral sex, but the flavoring may contain sugars, which could encourage bacterial infections in the vagina if they are used for intercourse.
  • For extra sensation, try using a ribbed condom.
  • Use a lubricant if you are dry, because dryness can cause condoms to break. Lubricants can be put directly into your vagina. Putting a tiny amount in the tip of the condom may give the man extra pleasure—which could be a plus in persuading him to use condoms. Be careful to use only a tiny drop, and only in the tip, not the sides, so the condom won't get loose and slip off. Use only water-soluble lubricants, such as K-Y or Astroglide. Never use an oil-based product with latex. Vaseline, baby oil, or baby lotion will damage the rubber and destroy its protection. Using spermicide for lubrication is also not recommended. The female condom can be useful if your male partner(s) can't or won't use other condoms.