Posted: April 26, 2016 Contributor: administrator
You Won’t Believe These Condom Myths Still Exist!
While men largely take the heat for neglecting to use protection, many women don’t put a lot of importance on condom use either.
Condoms are one of the best non-hormonal barrier methods of birth control and when used as intended, can prevent both STDs and pregnancy. While we hear most often about the male condom, there are female condoms too.
So why did a new study find that only 2 women out of 25 said that they feel it’s important for them to use condoms consistently? The study, which was recently published in the Journal of Sex Research, even concluded that of the two women who say it’s important to use condoms, these women still don’t use one every time. Women’s Health published a great post on some of the main misconceptions and myths surrounding condom use that sadly have women putting their health on the back burner.
Myth #1 – “Sex doesn’t feel good with a condom.”
This is one we hear all the time from both men and women, but if you haven’t had great sex with condom use, you aren’t doing it right! That is, condoms can cause friction and if you don’t apply lubrication, it’s not going to feel as pleasurable. There are also many different condoms designed for “her pleasure,” so get the idea that condoms = bad sex out of your head!
Myth #2 – “Urinary Tract Infections are caused by condoms.”
Wrong! Yes, sex does lead to UTIs for some women but that’s not because of the condom. It’s more likely that your UTIs are being caused by irritation and tearing from not enough lubrication or bacteria being pushed in during sex. These things can happen with or without a condom.
Myth #3 – “Being with one partner means I don’t need a condom.”
This one is tricky…because it can actually be the truth. Many women think that if they have been with the same partner only for some time that they would notice symptoms if their partner had STDs. The reality is many STDs have no symptoms at all and can be damaging your body. Even if you are in a monogamous relationship, you should use a condom every time until you both have been tested and come back negative.