Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with condoms

How can we either get around the side effects of my birth control OR get past the trials and tribulations of condoms?

Anonymous — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:43:52 -0800

Two-parter question about birth control. We need to either figure out how to make my hormonal BC more comfortable OR improve our condom experience. More details within. I'm about to give up on hormonal birth control entirely. I can deal with most of the side effects, but the dryness is becoming increasingly unbearable. Sex is starting to hurt more than it's fun. But! I'm giving myself the rest of this month's prescription (I'm on the NuvaRing at present but have tried other methods before) to figure out how to make this more bearable because we'd rather not go back to condoms. No amount or variety of lube seems to be helping with the hormonal BC. So, question part 1: Are there any other ways of decreasing the dryness? Anything you've tried besides lube that helped you personally?

If we can't make this work, we're going back to condoms, which brings me to part two of my question. I know there are quite a few posts on here about condoms, but I'd specifically like a suggestion for effective condoms that are *easy to put on* for larger-than-average guys. I've read that Hot Rod condoms, for instance, have applicator strips, but I don't know anything else about Hot Rod condoms, frankly. They seem like a bit of a novelty act. It's just that when we used condoms regularly, we'd sometimes go through two or three of them before he'd get one to stay on comfortably, and the whole process frustrates him. Any suggestions?

Safe sex statistics

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:24:58 -0800

Help me convince my girlfriend that, stastically speaking, a correctly-used condom is an adequate form of birth control! My girlfriend has her doubts about the efficacy of condoms and is very nervous that there is some possibility of pregnancy to the point that after sex she even panics sometimes. She is, however, a logical person and so I think with the right statistic I could convince her. I've looked online for some info but haven't found a easy way to say it. Maybe some statistician or mathematician here has some nice way of putting it that will help improve my sex life and put my gf's mind at ease...

Like, if 200 couples has sex 1000 times, 1 of those women will get pregant.

I assume the above quote is wildely untrue, but for illustrative purposes only...

Or:

you have a greater chance of being struck by lightening twice on the same day that getting pregant during safe sex.

See, some format like this is what I'm looking for... (ideally one that improves, not disrupts my sex life).

Thanks a lot!

non-Magnum condom alternatives

Anonymous — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:27:18 -0800

Are there reputable large condom lines other than Trojan Magnum? My girlfriend has an unpleasant reaction to the spermicide or the lube or something else in Trojan brand condoms. Unfortunately, I'm accustomed to using Magnums. The drugstores around here barely carry any non-Trojan lines at all, and most of the ones they do carry are silly Durex Clown Pack assorted novelty kinds. Are there any other larger alternatives from known, reputable brands? If there's something else out there, I'm more than willing to order online.

What's the thinnest, least "intrusive" condom on the market?

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:05:39 -0800

What's the thinnest, least "intrusive" condom on the market? I'm pretty tired of my penis being encased in what feels like an inch of rubber. I'm not concerned about STDs because I'm in a monogamous relationship and we've both recently had STD panels, but I'd really prefer not to have little anonymouses around. Any suggestions on really super-thin or super, um, sensation-transferring condoms?

What do you do with 1000 condoms, early in the morning?

InnocentBystander — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:11:41 -0800

What can you do with 1000 condoms? Besides the obvious, of course. Through some odd circumstances, we've ended up with a giant box of condoms. They are in date, and will continue to be so for some time. There are well over 1000 condoms in the box. I am married and we do not use condoms. Our housemates are also a married couple that does not use condoms. While these are rainbow colored and having a violet penis is certainly sort of neat, we're not really looking to restart condom use now. We've already given one to each person at our college and we still have over 1000 left. Our town has fewer than 1000 permanent residents.

What the hell do we do with so many condoms? Bonus points for funny answers. There is no local Planned Parenthood to donate to, and I doubt anyone would accept a donation like this from private individuals anyway (what if we'd secretly poked holes in them?). I'm wondering about some sort of...condom art project. Is such a thing possible? Suggestions, please!

Internet Private Eye Needed to Locate Plaid Condoms

Tinen — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 08:00:36 -0800

Help me find plaid printed condoms for my friends birthday present! Greetings Hivemind!

My good friends birthday is coming up and his girlfriend enlisted me to aid in the search for a special present for him. She wants to get him some plaid or argyle printed condoms. Ive searched local sex shops and the internet without any luck. Please help this birthday wish come true. Or at least into plaid ;)

Can anyone recommend a durable condom?

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 07:19:32 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good, resilient condom? So, the thing is, I keep breaking through most condoms I find. At first I thought it was a size issue, and I've tried the next size up a few times, but it works out to be too big. So I'm looking for recommendations on a good, durable condom.

How far from bed to keep condoms?

gelcap — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 12:16:01 -0800

How far from my bed should I keep my condoms in order not to seem like a man-whore? The problem is I have no nightstand, or bedframe. Condoms are currently in the crevice between mattress and wall, and on more than one occasion women have given me a look to suggest they found the positioning a little too convenient. In other words, how much hassle does a man have to go through to find a condom for an imminent conquest not to feel like she's merely the latest in a long, regular stream?

. . . ahh, anonymous posting

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 05:01:02 -0800

Condoms, penis size, and virginity. . . My girlfriend and I are both virgins, but inertia suggests that state won't go on. Safety is a problem though, and I really do *not* want to fuck up on this issue. I'm East Asian and I suspect I am underendowed compared to most Western guys. I bought the normal LifeStyles condoms and gave them an, ahem, preliminary test and they slipped off pretty easy, being too loose around the base. I went to the store again and the only other stated condom sizes available (across all brands) were 'Large' and 'Extra Large'. No 'Small' and 'Extra Small', or euphemisms I could detect, even though you think the implied normal curve would require this!

[Seemingly it would be most logical if safe length and circumference ranges for the product were stated on the boxes, then I wouldn't need to buy 100 different condom brands and styles just to see if any happened to fit]

I am 4.5 inches erect, with a circumference of 4 inches. Is there a regular brand or method I should try? How else can I maximize my chances of this aspect of sex not creating a disaster? Also what are the worst virginity sex mistakes and how can I avoid them?

Safe way to use second condom?

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 12:57:22 -0800

Do I really need to take a freaking shower before I put a second condom on? Sex ed websites seem to agree that the penis should be washed "with soap and water" after the first condom is removed (after ejaculation) before another one is put on to go again. Is this really necessary? How carefully do I need to wash? Any tips on how to make this process less annoying?

I'm concerned about pregnancy, not STDs.

Why Store in a Cool, Dry Place?

arrhn — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 23:49:00 -0800

Conventional wisdom says that you're not supposed to store condoms in your wallet. Generally, packaging refers to them supposed to be stored in a "cool, dry place." What is biggest danger to latex condoms? Friction? Temperature? Rapid temperature changes? I've seen (unreliable) sources indiciate that its mainly due to friction and mechanical stress that may cause microtears. I've also heard that temperature is a more important factor. Google reveals nothing definitive. Pubmed didn't have much useful. Actual *data* would be nice, if it exists, but I'm not going to be picky. :-) Thanks!

How can I convince my girlfriend to stop relying on condoms for birth control?

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 10:46:43 -0800

How can I convince my girlfriend to stop relying on condoms for birth control? We're in a very committed (3+ year) relationship, and we live together. Condoms (I use Durex Avanti's, which are WAY better than latex, but still...) just don't compare to natural intercourse. Her objections to various alternatives are as follows:
- Implants are off the table. I'm inclined to agree on this point.
- Diaphragms are uncomfortable for her. She also claims that her fingers are too short to get it out easily. Side question- this seems a bit odd to me, but I'm a man and I'm utterly ignorant of these things, so I'm not about to call her on it. Is this a real problem for some people, or something she's convinced herself of? She won't use a menstrual cup for the same reason.
- Her objection to The Pill is more complex, having to do with general issues of not wanting to "be medicated", to not wanting something muck with her natural cycle. Personally, the lessened mood swings and bleeding (both of which she gets in spades, but are part of "what make her who she is") would seem like a boon to me, but then, see "I'm a man" above.

Conversations usually stall at, "I appreciate your desire, but I'm not messing with my body." Given my druthers, I'd push for The Pill, but I'm open to suggestions. She's not on any other medication.

Condom time!

afroblanca — Sat, 28 May 2005 09:04:11 -0800

It is a widely quoted statistic that, with "perfect use", condoms have a 3% failure rate. My question - these 3% of uses that result in pregnancy, is it because the condom breaks, or because of some invisible factory defect? Put another way - if you follow all of the "best practices," and, when you're done, the condom hasn't broken, is it safe to assume that it worked?

How do uncircumcised guys deal with condoms?

trevyn — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 20:57:09 -0800

How do uncircumcised guys deal with condoms? Even with a full erection, I have a lot of "play" in my foreskin, and can pull it up to cover the head. In fact, during sex, the foreskin tends to naturally partially cover the head anyway, regardless of insertion method.

When discussing uncircumcised guys and condoms, the instructions always say "pull the foreskin back when putting on the condom", and indeed, this feels like the most natural way to do it. But then during sex, the condom and outer skin move up, leaving much of the bottom portion of the penis exposed, and, lacking a solid "anchor", the condom may even be pulled off.

I have heard mention of, and tried, pulling the foreskin up to cover the head, and then applying the condom over that. This anchors the condom securely, but introduces new problems: It's in direct conflict with the instructions, sensation is substantially reduced, and there is now a possibility of "poking through" the condom--I heard anecdotal evidence of this actually happening somewhere on the web.

A third option I discovered is to acquire a very long condom, several inches longer than the measured penis length, and then apply with the foreskin pulled back, roll halfway down, push the foreskin up, then continue to unroll, effectively covering all skin with a layer of rubber. The problem here is that after there is sufficient lubrication inside the condom to separate the skin and the rubber at the head, you end up with several inches of condom dangling off the end, which doesn't seem terribly safe, even though the bottom is securely anchored. Also, since the latex is less pliable than the skin, there can be some degree of "bunching up" of the rubber.

None of these options seems to make a whole lot of sense in the end; I get the feeling that most guys are having far less trouble with their condoms than I.

Any of this sounds familiar? What are your experiences?

Swedish Translation

tristeza — Fri, 12 Nov 2004 09:04:03 -0800

"Den ser så söt ut på dig använd kondom." I've tried every available transloation site on earth, to no avail, and I don't even know what language this is. Can someone translate?

Condom recommendations?

swift — Tue, 07 Sep 2004 19:42:47 -0800

Condom recommendations?