Top 5 Condom Myths

The oldest condom that was ever founded dates back to 1642, so it’s clear that it is not an alien device that people don’t know about and how to use today. There have been many myths surrounding the condom in our present-day society, this is because it is still considered a taboo in our society to talk about it and there is a lack of proper education on condom-like what material is used to make a condom, proper temperature to store it and how to use it properly.

According to Bill Smith, Executive Director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, “Education on proper condom use, as well as increased use, are key factors in decreasing condom errors and increasing their effectiveness. But we still have a great deal of work ahead of us. To ensure a more sexually healthy nation, we need to arm people with the facts they need to make smart choices to protect themselves and their partners.”

1. Condoms don’t protect against infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea

Sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis are spread through genital secretions. A condom provides excellent protection against all these kinds of diseases, by acting as a barrier that blocks the secretion that causes STIs.

Studies have shown that consistent use of condoms significantly reduces the possibility of transmitting diseases like chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and gonorrhea. Women who use condoms consistently showed a reduction of  62% in contracting gonorrhea and 26% in acquiring chlamydia.

2. Two condoms are better than one

There is a common sense of satisfaction of double layering a thing for better protection. But the use of a single condom is sufficient to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, double use of a condom can create friction during sex which can result in tearing up of the condom, it can also rupture and leak. It should be noted that only a single condom should be used at a time also a male condom should not be used with a female condom.

3. Latex condoms are more effective condoms

Latex condoms are considered superior to ordinary condoms because of their elastic and looser-fitting quality. There are 4 types of condoms latex, polyisoprene, polyurethane, and natural/lambskin and these condoms are equally effective at preventing unwanted pregnancy as well as against sexually transmitted diseases.

But there has been some incident that has raised a question on the effectiveness of polyurethane condoms as compared to latex condoms. Polyurethane condoms are not as elastic and looser-fitting as latex condoms, research suggests that Polyurethane condoms are 3 to 5 times more likely to tear than latex condoms.

There is an unease in using natural/lambskin condoms because they contain tiny pores. These pores are not wide enough for the sperm to pass through.

4. All types of condoms are effective in preventing STIs

All through there are 4 types of condoms (condoms latex, polyisoprene, polyurethane, and natural/lambskin) and all are equally effective in preventing unwanted pregnancy, but not all condoms are equally effective in preventing sexually transmitted diseases. Natural/Lambskin condom contains tiny pores that are effective in preventing pregnancy because they are not wide enough to let sperm pass through, but these pores are enough wide to let infections pass through it. Using this condom will not guarantee safe sex.

5. Condoms don't expire

Everything expires according to its time, so do condoms. Different condoms expire according to their build quality, usually, every condom comes with a mentioned date of expiry. Different condoms have different expiry like Latex, with no spermicide last up to 5 years, Latex or polyurethane with spermicide last up to 3 years and Lambskin has expiry up to 1 year.

Avoid using expired condoms, because they will not provide any protection. Condoms that have not been stored properly are also not safe for use because their material breaks down before the expiration date.

Cover photo by Pexels.