Behind Closed Doors: Safe is sexy — Use condoms to protect you and your partner

I’ve been dating the same guy for three years now, and we’ve never had sex without a condom. My guy friends always kind of cringe when I say that, and my girlfriends never cease to marvel at my self-control. Yes, I’m on birth control. No, neither of us has an STI. I just really, really, really don’t want to get pregnant.

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Condoms unpopular with young adults

A campaign hopes to encourage more young adults to use condoms after a study revealed half did not use them with new sexual partners despite rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases

 
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Learn From Olympians: Practice Safe Sex Too!

The Olympics are over, and the athletes have returned to their home countries. They left behind moments of glory, moments of disappointment and, apparently, more than 150,000 condom wrappers. That’s the number of contraceptives that were supplied to the London Olympic villagers (up from 100,000 in Beijing).
Drs. Oz & Roizen

This prompts us to point out that safe sex – whether it’s safety from unwanted pregnancy or protection from STDs – is something international athletes seem to take seriously. Safe sex is not an amateur sport; it’s a matter of life and death.

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New Orleans pastor known as 'Da Condom Father' couldn't just watch people die: Jarvis DeBerry

Bruce Davenport, pastor of St. John No. 5 Faith Church in Gentilly, said he was given an ultimatum by the Baptist convention to which he used to belong. He could keep calling himself and his church Baptist and cease with his distribution of condoms. Or he could keep passing out condoms and stop calling himself Baptist. His nickname, "Da Condom Father," makes plain which option he chose.

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Veganism – Understanding this Different Lifestyle

These days, more and more people are becoming more and more cautious about their lifestyle and changing their habits to be healthier—which is definitely a good thing. From the food we eat to even the cars we drive, it’s clear as day that many people are aiming to be healthier, cleaner, and greener. A common lifestyle change being done by many people right now is to adhere to the principles of veganism.

How to live as a vegan

Veganism is a form of lifestyle that abstains from using animal products. Most vegans reject the use of any type of animal products, from food to clothing, choosing alternatives that match their principles, such as vegan condoms for instance. However, there are dietary vegans that only stick with the vegan diet and still use animal products like leather.

Whether you are after the lifestyle or just the diet, there’s no harm in going vegan. There are many health benefits when shifting to this lifestyle and you just might find that you feel and become healthier after you switch.

Live longer

Vegans also tend to live longer. Since they strictly eat vegetables and fruits, they get the most of vitamins and minerals from plant materials. They even use plants, specifically beans, as a source of protein.  Many people who have gone vegan chose to because of the health benefits or because of health reasons. Most vegans choose to buy organically grown vegetables and fruits so no harmful or toxic chemicals are mixed into their food.

Special products

Since ethical vegans do not use any products that have animal matter in them, there’s a range of products specifically made for them. These can range from vegan shoes to vegan condoms. Vegan condoms in particular, are a relatively new product out on the market, catering to a niche market that’s often been neglected. Since the regular process of creating latex in condoms involves the use of the dairy protein casein, vegan condoms are a solution for vegans who want to engage in sex.

Downside

Although a vegan lifestyle sounds good, it will need a lot of dedication. You have to sacrifice a lot when promising to follow the lifestyle. You have to be very cautious about all the choices you make. For instance, it entails reading the labels of products you are buying to make sure that they do not contain animal products.

Shift now

That is, if you want to go vegan. Change your life and start slowly by changing your diet and once you get the hang of it, you can change your total lifestyle.

The Dos and Don’ts of Condoms

Condom usage is pretty straightforward: you put them on before sex, take them off afterwards. “What could go wrong?” you tell yourself.

Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. There are some instances when condoms fail, and when that happens, it’s usually chalked up to human error as well as inconsistent and incorrect usage. When a condom fails, you run the terrible risk of having an unwanted pregnancy, or worse, being infected with HIV or a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

The Proper usage of condoms boils down to knowing what you should and shouldn’t do with them. Here are a few rules and guidelines that should help you ‘enjoy’ the efficacy of condoms and engage in truly safe sex. 

Don’ts 


Don’t use a condom without checking its expiry date.

Condoms typically have a shelf life of at around five years. It’s much less if a condom comes with spermicides in it. That said, always be sure to read the literature of a condom brand before using it. Check for expiration date first and foremost, then check for other small details, such as components or ingredients used.

 Don’t wear a condom stored in your wallet or glove compartment for a prolonged period 

If there’s one thing guaranteed to kill a condom’s efficacy, it’s heat. Heat from your body or from your car affects the structure of latex, increasing its tendency to break. As cool as it is to be a boy scout and have a condom tucked somewhere convenient (that way you’re ready for action anytime), you may want to rethink the condom-in-the-wallet-or-car strategy.

Dos


Do choose a condom size that’s appropriate for you

This is a simple rule. A condom that’s too small is too snug and takes away the pleasurable sensation and friction associated with sex. A condom that’s too large on the other hand, is prone to slipping off during sex. Besides, all that extra material only makes you feel inadequate, the last thing you want in the bedroom. Be honest with yourself and choose a condom the right size for you.

Do use a condom when engaging with a stranger

One-night stands are exciting and fun for some people. Contracting HIV or an STD is not. It’s as simple as protecting yourself during risky behavior. Always be on the safe side when having sex with a stranger, or even someone you’re in a new relationship with. Furthermore, you want to prevent an unwanted pregnancy by using a condom.

More condoms in movies, please

SAFE SEX? Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, who portray Bella and Edward in the Twilight franchise.

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The Task of Choosing Condoms – Things to Know

For many people, wearing a condom is about as enjoyable as staying home to watch over your younger brother on a Friday night is. Despite how most of us need to wear a condom during sexual activity, most of us don’t quite like it. It’s a conundrum that will perhaps dog the use of condoms for a while, but did you know it shouldn’t be this way? In fact, there are ways to make condoms work for both you and your significant other in ways that enhance the pleasure you experience in bed?

Here are a few tips to do just that.

Try Textured and Flavored Condoms

Perhaps the common complaint against condoms is how they reduce the pleasurable sensation felt during intercourse. This may be true for some condom brands out there, but certain textured and special condoms have been designed to compensate for this problem without compromising safe sex standards. Here are a few examples below.

1. Ultra-Thin Condoms

Ultra-thin condoms are described by many users as the “next best thing” to wearing nothing when it comes to using condoms. While their thinness factor may be a cause of anxiety and worry for some people, condom manufacturers ensure users that they are perfectly safe, provided that they are stored and used the right way. Certain ultra-thin condoms are even designed to transfer heat better, increasing the pleasure felt during lovemaking.

2. Ribbed Condoms

Ribbed condoms, as the name suggests, have a ribbed texture, specifically designed to add more sensation and friction during intercourse. Both men and women experience added pleasure thanks to the condom’s ridges, making it a perfect solution to people tired of the plain-Jane quality of plain rubber condoms.

3. Flavored Condoms 

The ‘flavor’ of flavored condoms actually comes from the lubricant in them. For people who dislike the taste and smell of ordinary latex during oral sex, flavored condoms are a fun and cheek solution that promotes safe sex and fun in the bedroom.


Consider Condom Allergies 

There are some nasty instances of latex-caused allergic reactions to condoms. Some cases are due to the latex itself, while specific ingredients in latex, like the milk protein casein, trigger allergy cases. If you’re allergic to latex condoms, it’s worth giving vegan condoms a try. Vegan condoms are made from different from ingredients that are not only hypoallergenic, but animal-friendly as well. The vegan label comes from the fact that vegan condoms use no animal byproducts whatsoever (like casein).

Keeping your Bedroom Activities Animal Cruelty-free: Vegan Condoms

For vegans, especially ethical vegans, the simple act of placing animal products inside their mouths is deplorable, so you can only imagine what it would be like to have an animal-based product placed so closely to their more ‘sensitive’ body parts. Consider this as another example: picture yourself as someone dating a vegan and it’s come to that point when it’s finally time to go to 4th base. What happens when it’s time for condoms to come into the picture?

You see, the manufacturing process of latex, the material used in all condoms, involves the use of casein, a type of milk protein. Most, if not all, regular condoms have small traces of casein. For ethical vegans, this poses a problem of condoms not being a cruelty-free product. Aside from not being vegan however, most condoms are poor at biodegrading due to landfills and presence of lubricants, thus making them a poor product for the environment. Moreover, the lubricant found in most condoms these days can contain ingredients such as dairy enzymes and honey, both an affront to vegan principles as well.

The solution to this problem is the vegan condom, a type of condom manufactured in such a way that doesn’t involve the use of casein or other animal-based products. A handful of companies have taken the step of addressing the concerns of vegans and vegetarians, whose numbers have grown larger over the recent years as awareness grows on animal cruelty and the importance of a healthier lifestyle.

Instead of using casein to create latex, vegan condoms have a plant-based substitute to facilitate the creation of the material, like cocoa powder. The few companies that do offer vegan condoms each have their own special formula or substitute for casein and other animal-based ingredients, but the core concept remains the same—condoms that steer clear of animal products.

If vegan condoms are completely unavailable to you, remember they are a very small price to pay for preventing the larger impact another human being makes on this world. Besides being a solution against unplanned pregnancies, latex condoms are by far the most effective means of preventing the spread of sexually transmitted disease. So if you can’t stomach the idea of you or your partner having to wear a non-vegan friendly condom, then by all means, do try and abstain from engaging in sexual activity. It’s the least you can do for the world.