1. Only 5 percent of men around the world wear condoms. Keep in mind, this is a cross section of a variety of different countries that may or may not have easy access to contraception. But still, 5 percent is low. Really low. Especially considering the goal is 100 percent.
2. There are four different kinds of condoms. Now that things like cloth and turtle shells (yes, really) have gone out of style, there aren’t as many condom options, but that’s probably a good thing. Most condoms are made out of latex, but there’s non-latex for anyone with an allergy, and those are usually made of polyurethane. Some are even made of polyisoprene, if you’re unlucky enough to be allergic to both latex and polyurethane. Then there are lambskin condoms, which are actually made from lamb intestines, not skin. Finally, you can always pick up female condoms, which function drastically differently but are still designed to protect against pregnancy and STIs.
3. You basically have tires to thank for the modern condom. Charles Goodyear’s rubber vulcanization process led to the first rubber condom being produced in 1855, which is why even present-day latex condoms are sometimes called “rubbers” by people like your grandfather and carnival barkers.
4. Condoms basically haven’t been redesigned since they were invented. Trojan had a latex condom out in the 1920s, and despite all the advances made with bumps and ridges, the condom has remained largely unchanged since.
5. Condoms (on average) don’t really affect how good the sex is. Surveys show that couples were just as satisfied with sex whether or not they were using condoms. So considering condoms are 98 percent effective at preventing pregnancy and make sex ten-thoursands of times safer, “it doesn’t feel good” isn’t an excuse not to use one.
6. Your parents are less likely to be using condoms than you are. Sorry for the image, but couples over 40 are the least likely to use condoms for a variety of reasons. On average, 25 percent of couples use condoms, while 33 percent of single people use them.
7. Women account for almost half of condom sales. Even though they go on you know … penises, women account for at least 40 percent of condom sales. Which is good, because you should pretty much always have them on hand.
8. Only a third of high school students are taught how to use a condom. This is pretty bad, and not just because it’ll save them some awkward fumbling when their first time rolls around. Teens who are shown proper condom use are more likely to use condoms in the future.
9. The largest condom isn’t the Magnum. As famous as it is, the Magnum can accommodate an average-size penis and stretch to fit larger ones. TheyFit actually offers up the largest condom at the market: the G31. It can fit, as they put it, a penis “not far off the circumference of a Pringle can.” So that’s something.
10. Bill Gates really wants to make a better condom. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation actually offers up $100,000 grants to people trying to make better condoms. Some of the potential “condoms of the future” include condoms that actually mold to the penis (making for a one-size-fits-all solution) and one with handles (?).
0 comments :
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.