#nationalcondomweek

Happy belated National Condom Week (NCW)!

In the last post, we talked about some helpful hints about making condom use more effective:  using condoms that have not passed their expiration date, storing them properly (away from heat), and using only silicone- or water-based lubricant (never oil-based lubricant) with them.  

Besides helping people to understand ways to make condoms more effective, we talk about condoms during NCW in fun ways so that people can become less shy about it.  

Did you know external or “male” condoms were invented hundreds, even thousands of years ago?  There are prehistoric paintings on cave walls in France of men wearing condoms during sex.  Recipes for making condoms have been found in 3,000 year-old mummy tombs in Egypt.  The oldest condom ever found dates back to 1640.  Pretty amazing!

Condoms have a lot of funny slang names, such as rubber, jimmy hat, love glove, and rooster wrapper!  Do you know of any others?  

There are more than 100 brands and styles of other condoms, including the brand FC2 which are “internal” condoms for females.

Condoms come in different colors, shapes, flavors, sizes, textures, and shapes.  It really doesn’t matter what brand a person uses.  All condoms are tested to make sure they will work.  People should choose what fits them, what they like and will use.  If it turns out you don’t like it, there are plenty of other brands and styles to try.

One thing that scares some people is getting the condoms in the first place.  There is no age limit on condoms; anyone can buy them. It does not matter what your gender is. In many communities, there are health care centers like Planned Parenthood that give away condoms for free! Download iCondom, to find a clinic or store with condoms close to you!

 It is a good idea for a person to practice before he or she uses a condom for the first time.  Open a condom package.  See what it feels like.  Follow the directions and put a condom on a banana or something else J. Blow it up like a balloon!  See how thin yet strong condoms are.

 It is also a good idea to practice what you are going to say to your partner.

“Being careful matters to me, so I brought some condoms to use.”

“I’ve decided to not have sex without a condom.”

“I want to keep us both safe.”  

“I don’t want to be worried.  I want to be relaxed.”  

“Here. Using these really puts me in the mood.”

 That way, you can make it clear to your partner that you will only have sex with a condom.  If they try to make you not use a condom, be strong.  Practice how you might respond.   

“Then we can do something else that is fun – just not sex.”  

 Help the cause by spreading the word about condoms even after NCW. (People who don’t have sex still know people that do and need them.)