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By: Ikedi Ani-okoye.

Introduction to condoms

Not all condoms are made equally. Most condoms are made of latex, which means that they will biodegrade. Latex, however, does not biodegrade when it is under water, which is why it is not good to flush your used condoms. Condoms are not entirely made of latex, however, and the other things on condoms (spermicide, lubricant) might affect the biodegradability. The best option seems to be to send them to a landfill and see how they pass the test of time.

Condoms use

A condom is a device made out of polyurethane or latex, specifically made for birth control. Married couples use them during sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancies. The use of them by many married couples has been essential if not beneficial to their sexual relationship. It has definitely added so many more options for the married couple when it comes to making love and basically engaging in sexual intercourse.

When to use a condom

When should a man use a condom? Anytime that he has sex with a partner, he should use a condom. That is, if he wants to prevent pregnancy and/or he wants to be safe from sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, these are the two important roles condoms have. Even if there is only the slightest risk that the sexual partner may have a sexually transmitted disease, a condom should be used. According to studies, men become infected with STDs often when they have oral sex. As such, condoms should be used then as well.

Choosing the right condom

Read the label. Tests have shown that latex condoms can prevent the passage of STDs while natural (lambskin) condoms may not do this. The package should say that the condoms are effective in preventing disease. If the package doesn't say anything about preventing disease, the condoms may not provide the protection you want, even though they may be the most expensive ones you can buy.

Novelty condoms will not say anything about either disease prevention or pregnancy prevention on the package. They are intended only for sexual stimulation, not protection.

Condom quality

All brand name condoms are subjected to rigorous quality control tests at every stage of the manufacturing process. In the US, each condom is electronically tested for holes and defects. Samples are taken from each lot and visually examined using a water leak test. In this test the samples are filled with 300 ml of water and suspended for 3 minutes.

CONCLUSION

Condoms not only prevent pregnancies but also protect from a number of sexually transmitted disease (STD) like HIV/AIDS. So not talking about condom use could create problems. You should be frank with your partner to talk about condoms. None of you would like either of the partners to be infected with the disease. After all it is a matter of life.