Spring Break
Safe Tips To Keep Things Under Wraps
Aly Shea
Issue date: 2/6/08 Section: Focus
There is more to the condom than meets the eye (or any other part of the body, for that matter). Putting one on correctly could mean the difference between a clean bill of health and a nasty infection or pregnancy. And the difference is startling: According to the Food and Drug Administration, heterosexual couples using a condom consistently and correctly can expect about a three percent rate of pregnancy while couples who use condoms inconsistently or incorrectly - or both - can expect nearly five times that rate.
Putting a condom on correctly is just one key element in keeping yourself safe while having sex, according to Health Education Coordinator Joleen Nevers.
Preparation
The first and seemingly the most obvious step to putting on a condom is to obtain one, whether by buying it, receiving it or checking out your partner's stash in the bottom drawer.
Once you have a condom or two, it's time for a thorough inspection even before you open the package. Check to see if the condom was approved by the FDA. The FDA tests condoms rigorously and if just four in a group of 1000 are defective (break under pressure), the rest of the batch is destroyed, Nevers said, adding that all condoms given to students by Health Education - whether at their offices in South or from CAs' goodie-bags - are FDA-approved.
Other things to look for are tampering and the expiration date.
To make sure the condom hasn't been tampered with in any way, squeeze the packet to be sure that the seal is still airtight. If you can create an air pocket, you're good.
The expiration date of a condom is printed on the package and condoms should not be used after they are expired.
"All quality condoms should have an expiration date," according to the LifeStyles Web site. "LifeStyles Brand Lubricated Condoms have a five-year expiration date from the time they were manufactured; our spermicidally lubricated condoms, three years."
Another common error is using the wrong size condom.
Putting a condom on correctly is just one key element in keeping yourself safe while having sex, according to Health Education Coordinator Joleen Nevers.
Preparation
The first and seemingly the most obvious step to putting on a condom is to obtain one, whether by buying it, receiving it or checking out your partner's stash in the bottom drawer.
Once you have a condom or two, it's time for a thorough inspection even before you open the package. Check to see if the condom was approved by the FDA. The FDA tests condoms rigorously and if just four in a group of 1000 are defective (break under pressure), the rest of the batch is destroyed, Nevers said, adding that all condoms given to students by Health Education - whether at their offices in South or from CAs' goodie-bags - are FDA-approved.
Other things to look for are tampering and the expiration date.
To make sure the condom hasn't been tampered with in any way, squeeze the packet to be sure that the seal is still airtight. If you can create an air pocket, you're good.
The expiration date of a condom is printed on the package and condoms should not be used after they are expired.
"All quality condoms should have an expiration date," according to the LifeStyles Web site. "LifeStyles Brand Lubricated Condoms have a five-year expiration date from the time they were manufactured; our spermicidally lubricated condoms, three years."
Another common error is using the wrong size condom.
Be the first to comment on this story