This February, we have an entire month to give some extra love to the workhorse of the sexual health world: the condom!
Of all the birth control available, the condom is the most frequently used method that not only has a high contraceptive rate (98% effectiveness rate for male condoms and 95% for female condoms, when both used correctly and consistently) but even protects against the spread of STDs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV.
To help you make an informed choice on the different types of condoms, check out Bedsider’s interactive comparison table.
Tips to Keep You Covered
To really appreciate condoms, you need to learn how to correctly handle them so they perform at their best. Here are some extra tips to keep you covered so the safe choice becomes the easy choice.
- Get them for free! Your local health clinic, wellness center, and health departments likely have free condoms for the taking. You can
have any sexual wellness questions answered while stocking up for future sexy times. Who best to ask for condoms than your local sexual health advocates? - Shop online. This is a great way to buy in bulk so that you have a steady supply of your favorite brand. Try out amazon.com or condomdepot.com, but be careful about the expiration dates.
- Read a guide on choosing the right condom in a post shared with us by JenReviews.com right here.
- Try the variety packs if you’re unsure about what you like. Test each model out, and then buy your favorites in bulk.
- Don’t fight against them. Don’t double up and avoid using your teeth. Do incorporate them into the foreplay to make them more fun.
Tech Roundup
We’ve come a long way from Ancient Egypt when condoms were made from loincloths. Today we have websites and apps to help you figure out your favorite birth control method, and to even locate the closest condoms in your area!
- Sexual Health Guide – An informative app that provides the latest news on sexual health, educational information, advice, and myth busting. There are Apple and Android versions available.
- Condom Size – Here’s a fun and educational app focused on male condoms. It can also help you find your correct size. Charges apply.
- SexINFO – Your condom broke? Need sex questions answered fast? Try out this SMS service geared towards youths in San Francisco.
- Condom Finder, iCondom – Try these apps to find places that offer free condoms. Depending on your area, there may be better app coverage. Just to be sure, call your local health centers if they have condoms in stock.
- Oregon Reminders – Need help remembering when to stock up on condoms, other birth control, or when to get tested? Check out this website to set up SMS reminders on your phone.
To wrap this up, if you’d like to learn more about the latest happenings in sexual wellness, remember to attend YTH Live 2014! It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet innovators from across the nation working on tech solutions to improve youth health.
Got any other condom tips? Lets keep the conversation going! Tweet me at @cindyhoangle!
Cindy Le (@cindyhoangle) is a member of YTH’s Youth Advisory Board.
Cindy is working on her MPH in health care management at the Yale School of Public Health. She loves meeting people, learning about their passions, and helping them forge new connections to identify potential areas of collaboration and strengthen existing partnerships. +Learn more about Cindy
Photos by Planned Parenthood tumblr.
tags: condom, condoms, national condom month, national condom week, sexual health, valentine's day, Youth Advisory Board, YTH Live 2014.
