Latex Or Non-Latex: Who Is Your Fighter This Condom Week?
“Valentine is coming!” Cue the drums and the goofy dance for those with significant others. Cupid arrows everywhere, as well as roses and candle-lit dinner tables. For many it’s a beautiful occasion to celebrate love, and it is rarely ever done without hitting the bedroom for those oohs and aahs.
Coincidentally, this year’s V Day falls on the same week as International Condom Week, and what better time than now to have some intercourse about those little pieces of latex responsible for preventing pregnancies and staving off unwanted STDs? But not the intercourse you might have in mind – we aren’t there as yet.
Flavoured Condoms Were Actually Tailored For Oral Sex
Banana, strawberry, coffee, grape, and mint! Oh, no, these are not chocolate and food flavours. Believe it or not, they are just some of the many options that condom flavours come in, and these include garlic, bacon, and even whisky. According to one of the world’s leading condom producers, Durex, “flavoured condoms are mindfully designed to improve oral sex.” And there we have it!
Flavoured condoms are a step up for those who want to make sex an enjoyable experience, and to amplify the pleasure. These condoms are especially important in the use of foreplay (especially for the kinky freaks that like to finesse sexual stimulation using the tongue and the lips). With a nose-pleasing whiff, how hard can it be? Wink.
Oh, and before we move on, be careful not to use flavoured condoms for penetrative sex as they can cause irritation and infection.
Why Is The Internal (Female) Condom Not So Popular?
This one is usually not spoken about. These bad boys are difficult to put on right, which, if inserted wrong, makes them only 79% effective. And when they are used, they need to be coupled with other means of birth control.
However, female condoms, when used perfectly, offer the special benefit of not having to stop and change condoms between rounds. This is because they can be inserted up to eight hours before sex. Plus, female condoms give women greater agency over their sexual health. a big W for both women and the female condom as a whole.
Old But Gold (or Is It?): The Natural Skin Condom
Also known as lambskin condoms, they are among the oldest and earliest condoms to exist. Think of them as the ancestor of modern condoms. In fact, they’ve been around for thousands of years and they are usually made from the bladders and parts of intestines of animals.
These babies went out of style when latex condoms gained popularity in the 80s, and they are usually not the best bet when it’s time to get it on. They are good for preventing pregnancies, but aren’t as effective when it comes to stopping the transmission of STDs because they are too porous. But they are good in a sense that they work with every kind of lube imaginable, unlike latex which breaks down and becomes less useful after the application of oil-based lube.
The Reigning World Champion: Standard Latex
Latex is the best sheathe for a man’s eggplant, with it being the best alternative of all condom types when it comes to pregnancy prevention and STD protection. They are cheaper, making them more accessible and are flexible, decreasing chances of them breaking mid-sex or even slipping off.
With a myriad number of condoms out there, always remember to pick the best one for you and your partner’s sexual needs when all is said and done.
