Sex Everything You Need To Know About Condoms

They’re absolutely essential for the sexually active - or even about to be sexually active - woman, and they’re SO little talked about! Mostly hidden away behind counters at pharmacies, and the cause for so much staring if you do try to buy them at a store - condoms are pretty much “taboo” things even in the 21st century. And no one’s really willing to answer our questions about the what and how of them. But worry you not - here’s everything you need to know about condoms, and didn’t know whom to ask!

1. Why should I use them?

Because they’re the most effective method of protection when it comes to safeguarding yourself against both pregnancy and the vast majority of STDs. You’d be surprised at how many women experience not just pregnancy scares but also exposure to sexually transmitted infections. So, simple, really!

2. How to put one on correctly?

This is kind of difficult to describe, and you only get good at it with practice. But let it not be said we didn’t try our best to help you out!

• You can only put on a condom once the guy is at least partially aroused. Pretty impossible to get it on otherwise!


• Make sure your hands are perfectly clean before you do this. Massage oils, even sweat, can weaken the latex, so best to wash your hands with soap and pat them dry before you start.


• Rip the foil pack from one of the serrated edges (they all have those), making sure to tear it open along the edge, without touching the condom inside. If you manage to pull on (and therefore weaken) the condom, or tear it while trying to get it out, start again from scratch!


• Check whether you’re holding it the right side up - the edge of the condom roll should be upwards, so you roll it downwards over the penis. If you see it’s not unrolling, you’re probably holding it the wrong way. You should only be touching the condom gently along the edge, and nowhere else.


• While unrolling the condom, make sure to pinch the tip - the tiny bulb-like section - so that no air is trapped in it. That little section is where the semen is meant to collect once your guy has an orgasm - and air being trapped could make the condom burst, pretty much like a balloon!


• Make sure that the base of the unrolled condom settles firmly against the base of the penis. Else it could slip off!


• And that’s it! You’re done. (You’ll get the hang of it soon, promise!)

You can also watch this video to see a demo of how it’s done. 

3. Can I use a lubricant with a condom?

Yes, you can. External lubricants are meant to, uh, ease the various processes, after all. However, bear in mind that you can only use water-based lubricants with condoms - if you’re using oil or petroleum-based products such as Vaseline, they can react with the condom and render the latex porous or more prone to breakage. To be on the safe side, stick to a (tried and tested!) water-based lubricant such as this one. 

4. What do “ribbed” and “dotted” mean?

Ribbed and dotted usually refer to the most common “textures” of condoms. Wherein the external surface of the condom is usually raised in a finely striped (“ribbed”) pattern or one with tiny circles (“dotted”). The idea is that the patterned condomscause greater friction against his penis and your lady parts and provide more pleasure.

5. Flavoured? Long-last? What are those?

Yes, there are many other variants of condoms available, including flavoured and glow-in-the-dark ones. The former is supposed to mask the (not-so-nice) latex smell; the latter is coloured, so you have a guiding light in the dark, so to speak. Two other common types are ultra/ super-thin or long-lasting ones. Ultra thins - the phrase is self-explanatory! By virtue of being thinner than regular ones, they tend to provide “more” sensation - that is to say, both you and your partner are likely to, um, feel more.Long-lasting ones are usually coated on the inside with benzocaine or a similar chemical with anaesthetic properties - when this comes in contact with the penis, it acts as a numbing agent, which basically means that the guy’s pleasure sensation is slightly suppressed, allowing him to continue for longer without climaxing. Also, new in town: the condom with a vibrator ring! This one comes with a ring that you can fit at the base of the condom and turn on - leading to vibrations that enhance your pleasure and his! 

6. What about size?

Despite “all men are equal” not being a universal truth when it comes to penis sizes, most Indian manufacturers and retailers of condoms tend to believe in the “one size fits all" maxim. Listen up - bad idea! Most condom “accidents” occur because of guys using the wrong size for them: if the condom is too big, it slips off; if it’s too small, it might get ripped or broken during the course of things. However, luckily for us all, things are changing - finally! You can now get “shaped” condoms for better fit, and alsosmall and large ones in India. So choose carefully - or convince your guy to.

7. What if they hurt?

Most popular brands nowadays tend to have lubricated variants, so they shouldn’t hurt too much. And if they do, you’d be well-advised to use an external lubricant like we’ve mentioned before. However, a small percentage of women are actually allergic to latex (or the process by which the material is treated when a condom is manufactured). For those girls, the best option is a non-latex condom, such as one made out of polyurethane. They also tend to be slightly thinner than the average latex condom, so win-win!

8. What are female condoms?

Condoms for women, of course! No, seriously, that’s exactly what it is. Instead of going on a man’s penis, this one goes into a woman’s vagina. It comes with a closed end and an open end - the closed one is supposed to go inside, while the open one is supposed to settle on the outer edge of your vulva. Try one! (Doesn’t hurt to be prepared in case your guy isn’t, right?)

9. Should I use condoms for oral sex?

Yes, you ideally should, since many STDs can be transmitted via fluid exchange during oral sex too. That's when you make the most of those flavoured ones! However, if you're in a monogamous relationship (and you’re only sleeping with each other) and you've both been tested (and cleared), you could skip this one. (Never use long-last condoms during oral sex - those chemicals they’re coated with are meant for external use only, not oral ingestion!)

10. What should I do if a condom breaks?

If it's before intercourse, obviously you start afresh with a new one. If it's in the middle of things, you must wash yourself immediately and thoroughly. A viable option is to take an emergency contraceptive pill to safeguard against an unplanned pregnancy (it needs to be consumed no later than 72 hours after the act - and the sooner the better). However, this is not actually an alternative to using contraception in the first place, since repeated consumption can really mess around with your hormonal cycle. You can also take a home pregnancy test to put your mind at rest (approximately 21 days after the event). As well, you need to get yourself tested for STDs - just in case! And if you notice that this has happened more than once with the same brand or variant of condom, best to switch to a different one. 

11. Anything else I should know?

You should always store condoms in a case or box of some kind - the foil pack should not go directly into your wallet or purse, since it will get bent and stressed, and therefore weakened. Once you’re done, make sure you dispose of the used condom in a sealed package of some kind. And you must ALWAYS check the expiry date of a condom before using it. If you use an expired one, all bets are off. And better be safe than sorry! :-)