College may be a time for experimentation but that does not mean students should disregard safety, despite maybe not having learned exactly what they wanted to learn in sex education classes in high school. With so many brands and styles of protection out there, it can be a daunting task to find the perfect fit for you and your needs.
Consumer Reports tested 23 condoms to seek out the best condom, according to a study released in the February 2005 issue. The condoms were tested based upon price, strength, size, reliability, lubricant and special features.
The number one rated condom is the Durex Extra Sensitive Lubricated Latex, followed closely by Durex Performax Lubricated, Lifestyles Classic Collection Ultra Sensitive Lubricated, TheyFit Lubricated and Trojan Extended Pleasure Climax Control Lubricated.
“Safer sex is extremely important,” said Secretary General of the World Association for Sexual Health, Dr. Beverly Whipple, who is also a Rutgers University professor. “Our sexually transmitted infection rate is going up and we need to take care of ourselves … You can’t be safe, but you can be safer.”
Condoms remain the only pregnancy prevention method that also protects from sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, which causes AIDS. According to the report, HIV infects 110 Americans every day and at least half are 25 years old or younger.
“For a man, the best contraception to use is a condom,” said Patience, a volunteer counselor on the Planned Parenthood Hotline. “If I were talking with a woman, I would say the pill is more efficient.” Patience is not a paid employee of Planned Parenthood, nor does she necessarily represent the viewpoint of the organization.
According to Men’s Health, latex condoms offer the best protection. Natural-membrane condoms, such as those made from lambskin, are porous and are much less likely to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
Be sure to steer clear of any condoms containing spermicidal lubricants. Spermicidal lubricants do not prevent pregnancy, may cause urinary tract infections in younger women and have a shorter shelf life, the study said.
Nonoxynol-9, a common spermicide, causes vaginal irritation and may increase the risk of contracting HIV when used frequently, according to a 2001 World Health Organization report. The report led to Durex and some other condom makers dropping models lubricated with spermicide.
A properly stored condom can last up to 5 years, but a condom coated with spermicide can only last for 3 years, according to a Men’s Health article.
Incorrect and inconsistent use of condoms, rather than breakage, were the cause of most condom failures, according to Planned Parenthood’s website. A 2002 study of college students revealed that errors in condom use were frequent. Forty percent of college-age men surveyed said they had not left room for ejaculation at the tip of the condom and 15 percent said they had removed the condom before completing intercourse.
The actual breakage rate of condoms in the United States is only two of every one hundred condoms, according to the article.
The strengths of condoms in the Consumer Reports study were determined by inflating them until they exploded, a proven testing method that accurately predicts real-world performance. The best condoms showed no signs of premature breakage among the 120 samples tested as part of the study.
Consumer Reports offered some advice to avoid condom failure. People should not buy or use condoms past their expiration date and never reuse them. Condoms should be stored in a cool, dry place and not in a wallet for any extended period of time. They should be opened with care and without sharp instruments such as scissors or teeth. People should only use water-based lubricants with male latex condoms. Those who are allergic to latex should use condoms made of polyurethane or other synthetic materials.
“Don’t use the same condom for vaginal intercourse as anal intercourse or oral intercourse,” Whipple said. “You have to change condoms for oral, vaginal and anal. Don’t use natural condoms. Don’t use oil based lubricant with any latex product.”
Although condoms are the best protection from sexually transferable infections, they are not the only way to avoid pregnancy.
The pill is a form of birth control than prevents ovulation and thickens mucus in the vagina that prevents sperm from getting through. The pill is made using estrogen and progestin, which are human hormones.
According to the Consumer Reports article, there is a less than a one percent chance of pregnancy in users who used it correctly, but an 8 percent chance with those who used it in a typical fashion. With long-term use, chances of developing ovarian and endometrial cancers are reduced and it typically eases cramps associated with a woman’s menstrual cycle, also according to the article.
Estrogen has been shown to slightly raise the risk of blood-clotting for healthy users and significantly for smokers and women with high blood pressure.
Two newer forms of estrogen and progestin contraception include a skin patch replaced once a week and a ring inserted into the vagina for three weeks.
A diaphragm is a fitted rubber dome placed over the woman’s cervix that, along with spermicide, prevents sperm from entering the uterus. It has no hormonal side effects.
Patience suggested women who have unprotected sex take the morning after pill to prevent pregnancy. Depending on how quickly the pill is taken after sex, the progestin-based pill will prevent the fertilization of the egg or attachment of the fertilized egg to the uterine wall. The sooner it is taken the less likely you are to become pregnant, she added.
“I think everyone in the United States who’s fertile should have these pills,” Patience said. “They’re very, very safe. They’re cheap. You can get them online and you can get them through your local pharmacy.”
In Massachusetts, Plan B pills are in the process of being made legal over the counter drugs. In September 2005, the state legislature overturned Gov. Mitt Romney’s veto of the morning after pill measure, which would expand access to emergency contraception. Romney signed a bill last week that could expand the number of people who can access family-planning services, according to a Boston Globe article.
Don’t confuse the morning after pill with RU-486, the abortion pill. If the egg has been implanted on the uterine wall, the pill will have no affect. RU-486 is a combination of drugs that induces an abortion separating the developing embryo from the uterine wall and expelling it from the vagina.
Well-informed counselors at the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts are available to help anyone who has questions about anything related to sex and health, Patience said.
“The hotline is a conduit where all kinds of questions are dumped,” Patience said. “We try to help people make decisions about their reproductive health and we try to not make judgments and we try to provide information when information is what you need.”