The condom

Why is a condom used?

Faithful ally of male and female health, condoms are a contraceptive method that can protect women from unwanted pregnancies, while protecting both lovers from sexually transmitted diseases.

Commonly called condom or condom, the condom is the title of the so-called barrier contraceptive methods: it is a thin waterproof sheath made of latex or other hypoallergenic materials which, when worn by the man on the erect penis, allows to collect the ejaculated sperm preventing this enters the vagina during the sexual act.

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Contraceptive Efficacy

The effectiveness of the condom essentially depends on the correct method of use: the clumsy use of the condom constitutes a real threat both in terms of contraception and health.

Outside of sexual abstinence, no contraceptive method - be it hormonal, implantable, natural or barrier - offers asserted protection (equal to 100%) from unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

When used correctly, the condom still guarantees a "surprising effectiveness: from a theoretical point of view, the method offers almost 99.9% protection from unwelcome pregnancies and venereal diseases. In practice, unfortunately, the condom is successful" only "in the" " 84-85% of cases.
As can be seen, the theoretical efficacy does not coincide with the practical one: the failure of the contraceptive method is heavily influenced by method of use and from time of use. This last point deserves further consideration: many young people (and adults) tend to wear condoms only towards the end of the relationship, in the "mistaken and common belief that" until ejaculation occurs, the spermatozoa do not pass through the canal. vaginal ". In reality, foreplay can promote a" male arousal that favors the early release of very small quantities of spermatic fluid (sufficient to promote conception).

Curiosity
The risk of the early release of spermatic fluid before the actual ejaculation is even more palpable when intercourse has been consummated a few moments before: in this case, in fact, the spermatic ducts may not have been emptied completely, therefore some spermatozoa could be poured into the vagina before male intercourse.

To increase the contraceptive efficacy, it is possible to associate a specific spermicide to the condom (chemical contraceptive). ), can cause unpleasant side effects to the partner, such as allergic reactions and vaginal irritation.

How to use?

We have seen that the effectiveness of the condom essentially depends on the way of use. To facilitate understanding, the following are the main guidelines on the correct use of the condom.

BEFORE WEARING IT

Wash your hands before opening the package containing the condom.
To avoid tearing the condom, before tearing off the packaging, gently move it to the opposite side (with respect to the opening side).
At this point, remove the condom after tearing the wrapping (follow any pre-punched line to facilitate tearing). It is important to be careful not to damage the sheath with nails or other sharp objects (eg bracelets, necklaces, piercings, etc.): for this reason, we do not recommend cutting the package with scissors.

Choice of condom

Given that the choice of the type of condom always depends on the needs of the consumer (greater sensitivity, hypoallergenic, lubricated, etc.), the advice is to prefer condoms with a reservoir. At the terminal end, condoms equipped with reservoirs have a small appendix that allows the seminal fluid to be collected during coitus: the aim is to minimize the risk of method failure (condom breakage), avoiding the formation of air at the inside, whether there are accumulations of spermatic fluid.

HOW IT'S WEARING

Only after having put the above instructions into practice is it possible to wear a condom. Once its perfect integrity has been checked, the condom must be made to adhere to the erect penis:

The sheath should be placed on the uncovered glans, with the rubber ring facing outwards
The condom must be unrolled along its entire length, taking care to squeeze the reservoir between thumb and forefinger to prevent the creation of air bubbles during intercourse, hypothetical responsible for the condom breaking.

If the condom is not equipped with a reservoir, during application it is necessary to leave a space of about 1 cm in its end (in correspondence with the glans) to prevent air from forming inside it. However, most modern condoms have the reservoir.

Make sure you have correctly positioned the condom on the penis: when you realize that you have inserted it backwards, it is advisable to remove it from the penis, throw it in the garbage and replace it with a new one. This practice, unfortunately often dangerously transgressed, is indispensable for the "contraceptive efficacy": even during the insertion procedure, in fact, it may happen that a quantity - albeit minimal - of seminal fluid comes into contact with the inner walls of the sheath, constituting hence a possible risk factor for pregnancy.
When necessary or desired, specific water-based substances (gels, creams, etc.) can be used to promote vaginal lubrication. Latex condoms must not be combined with oily lubricants (eg Vaseline): such behavior can damage the structure of the contraceptive, increasing the risk of failure of the method. Water-based lubricants are preferred.

HOW TO REMOVE IT

At the end of intercourse, the condom must be held with the fingers at the base of the penis, to prevent it from slipping off, thus causing an unwanted pregnancy. Let us briefly remember that after male intercourse, the penis undergoes a natural decrease in volume (which in technical terms is called detumescence): for this reason, it is good to remove the penis from the vagina before the erection is completely finished.
For greater contraceptive peace of mind, before throwing the condom into the garbage, it is advisable to check its integrity.

Please note
Before putting on the condom, it is recommended to carefully read the leaflet inside the package: there are in fact many types of condoms, whose methods of use may slightly vary from case to case.