Condom Facts #2

• YOU CAN BUY CONDOMS in packs of 3 and 12, though the most common pack size is still three. This is thought to date from the ration World War II soldiers were given on weekend leave - one for Saturday, one for Sunday and one for luck!
  
  
• ALL CONDOMS SOLD IN SINGAPORE have been imported and are made from natural latex rubber. Polyurethane condoms are available in America, but the FDA only allow them to be recommended to the small proportion of people who get irritation from latex. This is because the FDA have found the first polyurethane condoms available were more likely to burst than those made from latex.
  
  
• A SMALL NUMBER of condoms are made from sheep gut. These condoms are less popular than latex condoms due to their high cost. Also latex is a more effective barrier to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases than sheep gut.
  
  
• THE FEMALE CONDOM is available but have met with mixed reaction. Much like a larger version of the male condom, it has an inner ring at the base for ease of insertion into the vagina. An outer ring stays outside the woman's body and prevents the condom sliding into the vagina during sex. It is pre-lubricated and has the advantage of being able to be inserted well before intercourse. Some users have been put off by how large the condom looks, and there have been reports of it making noises during sex!
  
  
• BE CAREFUL WHICH LUBRICANT you use with your condom. Mineral and vegetable oils can substantially weaken latex in 60 seconds-so don't use: baby oil (eg Johnsons Baby Oil), suntan and cooking oils, butter and margarine, massage oils, hand lotion (eg Vaseline Intensive Care) and petroleum jelly (eg Vaseline) with condoms. Also if you or your partner are using medication in the genital area check with your doctor that it is ok to use with condoms. Instead, use water based lubricants such as KY Jelly, Sylk, Wetstuff and spermicides.
  
  
• AIR POLLUTION, heat and light can damage condoms, so don't open them until you are ready to use them. Store them in a cool, dark, dry place, and not for long periods of time in your hip pocket or glove box of your car. Heat artificially ages condoms (see Do They Actually Test Condoms?) so keep yours cool and feeling young. Stored properly they will last five years from date of manufacture, so check the expiry date.
  
  
• IN AN AMERICAN STUDY, two men out of every three criticised condoms for giving them reduced sensation, yet nearly half the men praised condoms for allowing them to prolong sex for precisely that reason. The most popular advantage of condoms among women was the lack of side effects.