Condoms For All – Care and Storage

It is a big and equal responsibility for each of us to do our bit for safe sex these days. Condoms are an easy and relatively safe option for safe sexual practices in this day and age and have been for quite some time.

If using a condom to absolute perfection, a condom can be 98% accurate in protecting against pregnancy and STIs.  That’s if you use them to absolute perfection.

Catering for human error lets say the margin is more likely 85%.

Condoms Used to Perfection

• Put the condom on the right way.  And if you put it on the wrong way – throw it out and start again.
• Condom must go on before any foreplay. 
• If using extra lubricant don’t use any oil based lubricants as it may cause the condoms to break.
• Pinch the tip before rolling down the shaft.
• Roll all the way to the base.
• Wait until you have removed the shaft from the body to roll the condom carefully off the penis, keeping the semen inside.
• If possible, tie the condom before throwing it away.

Everyone can carry condoms

In fact it is highly recommended.  The best prevention is preparation and you should never expect a date to be packing.  Bring your own.  This is also good advice in case you have any sensitivities or preferences in condoms.

But where to keep them?

Most of us immediately think of the movies, or the books or even our own experiences of having a trusty condom stashed in a pocket of our wallet for emergencies or on the go.

This is in fact a grave error.

Condoms should be kept out in cool dry areas and there is nothing cool about the pockets where wallets are kept.

Pockets of clothes, right next to the body conduct a lot of heat, add a mobile to the mix and we are cooking.  This heat damages the structural integrity of a condom which in itself will leave it vulnerable to breaking.

What else is dangerous about wallets and pockets?

Keys, sharp things, pens anything and everything that could poke, prod and dent into your wallet and therefore your condom.

Seems like a pretty big risk to put on accidentally leaving a potential hole in a condom that you might be using.

Also when was the last time you checked the condom in your wallet?

One of the biggest oversights with condoms is that they expire.  They do last a long time, but you still need to check the use by date.  That use by date is also greatly affected by where they are kept.

Are they kept in the sun?  Somewhere hot? Dry?

Always check your dates periodically to ensure that you are getting the best use out of your condoms and staying the safest you can be.  If you’ve moved house several times and they aren’t stored correctly, you might want to rethink that emergency few that you own.

Best Places to Keep Condoms

Glasses Case

A great alternative to your wallet.  Throw them in your car, your bag, whether it be your reading or your sunglasses.  Any old case will do.

A Cigarette Case

Go into a smokemart and buy a steel case for cigarettes.  This will perfectly hold a couple of condoms.

Perfect for those emergencies.  They’re sleek and slim, so they will fit into your pants or your clutch while keeping those little shields cool enough.  And making sure that they don’t get poked or damaged en route to wherever the night leads you.

A Deck of Cards

A particular favourite of mine.

Super elusive.  Ever seen a friend with a deck of cards in their bag that says they play solitaire by themselves or they’re missing a few cards or say they can’t really play group games in their work bag or uni bag?

Chances are they may have removed some of the deck so that they can fit a few condoms in their well concealed deck of many things.

Under stated and very clever.

Container

Not necessarily the classiest but sometimes the most practical.  Tupperware and small plastic containers can be beautiful and fancy little ways to store the odd condom in bags, handbags or cars on the go.

At home, keep them boxed in your underwear drawer, in the bathroom, in the bedside drawer.

But ensure that you check the dates often and don’t use them past the expiration date.  And whatever you do, don’t try putting them in the fridge or the freezer for a cooling effect.

We have Lubes for that.  By putting them in the freezer, you will dry out the condom which again opens you up to the risk of it breaking it.

My pick is definitely the Skyn condom range

A non latex range means that anyone can use them without irritation, and without worrying that someone will say I can’t use a condom because I have a latex allergy.  Done!  Solved.  Here I have a non latex one I prepared earlier!

Another huge pointer is check in with the nominal width of the condom when buying.

Brands and varieties differ.

The nominal width can make a difference in desensitizing and the feel, finding the right nominal width will have a big impact on how comfortable the experience is for the wearer.

But remember.

Not too loose, you need it to stay on after all.

At your Service, Tiffany

Sexual health Advocate and Carrier of Condoms.

Wait Till You Try The Lelo Hex Condoms!!

Today I was looking on my ever so beloved favourite sex toy company’s website, Lelo,  looking for toys to review and research.  Or even to see if anything new toys that are coming out.

Like always I got new ideas and inspirations for new reviews.  But I came across something that definitely surprised me.

I never thought I would say this but Lelo actually delivered themselves into the condom industry.

You are probably thinking exactly what I was thinking, why?

Why?  And most importantly why??? They out of nowhere have a “new” condom coming out in less than a month and they say that’s a re-engineered condom.  And that it’s the best and safest you will ever try.

As much as I love Lelo I’m not really convinced (not yet anyway) what exactly have Lelo done to make it the best.

Condoms are condoms, right?

Well, apparently not.

I am surprised that you can even re-engineer condoms, but we always need safe condoms.

If we feel comfortable using our condoms we can look forward to experiencing sexual intercourse than being worried about anything else.

Lelo has introduced the ‘Lelo HEX’, with the tagline ‘condoms re-engineered’.

Now just earlier I was super sceptical but after looking into the Lelo Hex Condoms, I can now see how and why this condom could change the condom industry forever.

Lelo HEX is a condom shaped like a hexagon.

It’s a pretty futuristic condom design and its main purpose is supposed to increase the effectiveness of the condom.

Statistics show regular condoms have a 98%  effectiveness and if you apply human error it becomes about 82%.   Since human error drops the effectiveness rate by 16%, Lelo Hex Condoms try to fill in the gap.

Lelo Hex Condoms addresses three core issues with condoms, discomfort, slippage and breakage.

Lelo Hex Condoms unique hexagon designs aren’t meant to be felt by the user

But rather it acts as a grip around the entire penis.  The hexagon design looks absolutely magnificent in the advertisements I have seen.

May I dare to say it may even look like one of the first ever fashionable designs for a condom.  Yes it’s raised hexagonal design can be felt.  But it’s more so to act as added comfort, flexibility and at the same time reduce slippage.

So less time to worry if it came off and more time to focus on pleasure.

Panels within the web that make up 96% of the condom are 0.045 mm thick with an overall thickness of 0.055 mm.

Seeing as the majority of condoms are the same thickness, it’s nothing special.  But what is special is that in being the same thickness of a super thin condom it’s actually 3-4 times stronger.

For those oops moments where the condom does actually break, the hex is designed to only break in one location due to its hexagonal design.

This is key because it reduces the spillage from the condom

Instead of having the condom break in multiple spots or snap completely.

Because of the Lelo Hex Condoms design and structure, the hex actually flexes and moulds to the uniqueness of the wearer.  Meaning that it will be a much a more comfortable fit and increase the sensitivity that a lot of condoms take away.

After doing research this condom sounds amazing

It will encourage other condom company’s to re-think their dated formula as well.

Only negative that I can possibly point out at the moment is that it’s made out of latex, which really isn’t a real negative.  But definitely important for those who are allergic to latex.

Overall I’m really excited to try these condoms

I want to see if they are as good as they market them to be.

It is an amazing feat when people actually do new research on contraceptive sexual health products especially for the user of men.

One of the best thing’s about Lelo advertisements about the Lelo Hex Condoms is that it brings awareness to sexual health issues including sexually transmitted diseases whilst providing a powerful contraceptive condom.