Condoms
How to Put a Condom On (Sex Ed 101)
I'm sure we all know just how important the use of condoms is. And if you still aren't aware of how important they are - they're very important! Not only will they protect you against pregnancy, but they are the only way to prevent against most sexually transmitted diseases - including the one that causes AIDS, known as HIV.
When a condom is used improperly, it's ineffective. In some cases, it can be just as ineffective as if you were to just forget about using a condom in the first place. As much as you think you might know how to put a condom on properly, each and every time, it's estimated that most people really don't know the proper way to put a condom on. So, read on and learn, even if you think you know!
A Step by Step Guide
- Check the condom package to make sure it's in decent condition, and the expiration date has not passed.
- Open up the condom package carefully - don't tear the condom! Be sure not to use teeth, scissors, or excessive force.
- Place the rolled condom over the tip of the hard penis. If the condom does not have a reservoir top, pinch the tip of the condom enough to leave a half inch space for semen to collect. If the man is not circumcised, then pull back the foreskin before rolling on the condom.
- Pinch the air out of the condom tip with one hand and unroll the condom over the penis with the other hand. Roll the condom all the way down to the base of the penis, and smooth out any air bubbles. (Air bubbles can cause a condom to break.)
- When removing the condom, be sure to hold it around your penis as you are pulling out. This will prevent the condom from slipping off.
Videos
If you find yourself to be a visual learner, check out the videos below for examples of properly putting on a condom.
Tags: sex, contraception, condoms
How Can I Tell if I’m Pregnant? (Sex Ed 101)
lisa, 18 writes...
I have a bit of a pregnancy scare. I am on birth control and have been for quite a while. We use condoms 90% of the time, I know it should be 100%, and believe me, I will make sure we do from now on. We had sex without a condom at the very end of my period, and the next day I got a bladder infection, so the doctor gave me antibiotics. Antibiotics make birth control inactive, so I am terrified the sperm may still have been alive in me and impregnated me. I threw up the other morning, I don't know if it is just from worry or if it is morning sickness, but I am just worried sleepless. When is the soonest I can tell if I'm pregnant? I know at home pregnancy tests are good 5 days before your missed period, but that is about 3 weeks away. Can doctors detect anything sooner? Thank you.Brittany says...
Chances are, you're not pregnant. You weren't on antibiotics at the time of you having sex, so I wouldn't worry about it. You're probably just worried and stressing, which possibly made you get sick. Aside from that, morning sickness isn't going to affect you that soon after conception. On that note... a doctor's pregnancy test isn't going to tell you if you're pregnant any sooner than one you take at home, they're just more accurate.
Tags: pregnancy, sex, condoms, antibiotics
Period and Possible Pregnancy (Sex Ed 101)
lifes.good, 18 writes...
If you get pregnant a day or two before your expected period (let's say you have an irregular cycle), will you still have your period?Ivette says...
It's very unlikely to get pregnant two days before your period (even if you're irregular). Though, there is always the possibility that it might happen. Usually in a 28 day cycle, the first couple of days after your menstrual cycle, you enter a "Dry Period". As you get near the 15th day (when it's the most fertile) your vagina starts producing more discharge (the "Wet Period"), telling you your ovary is ready to release an egg. Between the 13th day to the 18th day, give or take, is when the risk of pregnancy is the highest. After your body goes into this "Wet Period" your body enters the dry period again. This means it becomes harder for sperm to reach the egg since it doesn't have the help of this humid mucous to impregnate you (this mucous also aids the egg to move through fallopian tube). Note: there still might be a chance that the sperms can reach it without the vagina's mucous helping. So, it is very unlikely you're pregnant if you had sex right before your cycle starts (since it's a "Dry Period"). Although, some women do have spotting when they get pregnant, it usually occurs after 2 weeks they had intercourse. Once you get your period, it's unlikely you're pregnant since this means your uterus is cleansing itself getting rid of the nutrients for that possible baby and depleting the egg. If your period is unusual, late or light, it doesn't hurt to take a pregnancy test. You can also see this video for further detail of what I explained!Tags: pregnancy, sex, advice, birth control, babies, condoms, periods, sex ed 101, ovulation
What’s the Deal with Plan B? (Sex Ed 101)
Freaking Out, 19 writes...
Hi first of all I love what you are doing with the site! Now to my question... My boyfriend and I have been dating for almost 2 and a half years and we fooled around in the past but last Sunday we had sex. We were fooling around before, and he didn't have a condom on so I'm not sure if he did anything inside of me, and then he did put a condom on a little later. We kept having sex, and he didn't cum inside of me but I was wondering if there was any possible way I could be pregnant since we didn't have a condom on before? I got the Plan B the day after, so is it possible for me to still be pregnant? I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say some of this on the page, so edit however... I'm just really nervous and I can't stop thinking about it. Thanks in advance!Brittany says...
Glad to hear you like what's going on with the site! That's always great to hear.
There is always a chance of getting pregnant when you have sex without a condom, even if he pulls out. Plan B will only work as long as your egg didn't get fertilized. Plan B only works by doing the same thing a birth control pill already does, but it will not work against an existing pregnancy. The fact that you took Plan B the day after having unprotected sex is very beneficial, because you have about a 3 day window to prevent pregnancy.
Overall, there is still a slight chance you could be pregnant, and you won't really know until you get your next period (or if it's late), but 7 out of 8 times, Plan B works if you take it within the first 3 days after unprotected sex.
Tags: pregnancy, birth control, condoms, unprotected sex, plan b
World AIDS Day (Sex Ed 101)
Today is WORLD AIDS DAY!
Remember everyone, safe sex is sexy. Protect yourselves and your partners. The price of a condom isn't too much in comparison to what you could be paying if you happen to be infected with any sexually transmitted disease, especially HIV.
Check out the World AIDS Day 2009 website for real life stories, facts, and much more.
And if you use Twitter, use the hastag #Red in your tweets for them to turn red for today to raise awareness.
Tags: condoms, safe sex, hiv, aids, world aids day, december 1st
Could I Be Pregnant #58938430 (Sex Ed 101)
miss piggy, 16 writes...
I had sex on January 3rd, and then this past Sunday((a week later)) I started to bleed very lightly. This continued Sunday to Monday, and today (Tuesday) it stopped. Could I be pregnant? We used a condom and he said he didn't find any holes in it. I know that this early there are few, if any symptoms, of pregnancy but I won't have my period for two more weeks.Brittany says...
Sure you could be pregnant. The only safe sex is no sex, so there's always a risk. You took the necessary precautions and the only way to find out is to wait and see if you're late - then take a pregnancy test.
Birth Control Pills and Pregnancy (Sex Ed 101)
anonymous, 20 writes...
I have been on birth control for about a year. I missed the first pill in the second week of my pack but took it as soon as I remembered (about 14 hours later) then took my regularly scheduled pill at the normal time. About 4 days later (about day 13 of my pack) the condom broke during sex. Can I get pregnant even though I only missed one pill?Brittany says...
If you've been taking your pill regularly and on time for the rest of the month, you should be protected. However, if you're worried, you can always take Plan B that you can get at a pharmacy.Tags: pregnancy, sex, condoms, birth control pills, breaking condoms, late birth control pills
But I Didn’t Do Anything Wrong! (Sex Ed 101)
Anonymous, 17 writes...
Firstly, thank you so much for giving the great advice you do. Thanks to reading your site, I did not regret or feel ashamed of my first time having sex and I waited for the right moment, as well as knowing how to protect myself and what to expect, so thanks!
My boyfriend and I have recently started having sex, and everything is going great. I'm on the pill and we use a condom so I know we're protected, and I don't regret anything. However, the other day my Mum decided to randomly empty out my bin, and instead of taking out the plastic bag she simply tipped out the rubbish, and to her surprise she found a condom. She completely flipped out, and told me I need to clean out my old bin, and that her and Dad expected more of me, and that I should not on any account be doing that in our house. Obviously I was quite embarrassed by this, but I was more upset. Most of my friends parents would not have had that reaction, rather checking that their daughter was OK, and everything was going well and even congratulating them on being safe!
I am 17 and legal (in Australia), so I felt like even though I had waited and made the right choice, they were condemning me for something that is completely natural, and it's something that I should be ashamed of. How can I get over this feeling that I've done something horrible when it's such a taboo subject in our family? Thank you
Brittany says...
I think the best way to approach this situation is to look at it from your parent's perspective.
I don't know how close you are to your parents, but I'm really close with my mom and I know for a fact, had she found out someway besides me telling her that I was having sex would be devastating. I'm sure your parents are very happy that you're choosing to have sex safely, but finding out their "little girl" is having sex can be quite shocking, especially if they weren't prepared for it and had no idea it was coming. They also might be a little upset to think about you doing it under their roof and especially that they didn't figure it out sooner... because you know that parents like to at least think they know everything that goes on inside their house, even if they can't control it.
If you have a good relationship with your parents, or even just one of them, talking will help. Sit them down and tell them how you feel - that you're sorry for not teling them earlier and that they found out this way, that even though you're having sex, you waited for somebody you can completely trust and don't regret, that you're taking every precaution to be safe and prevent pregnancy and STD's, etc.
Talking should help a lot with how you feel and how your parents feel. It will show your parents that you're a responsible young adult and you're ready for this step in your life. Just be sure it doesn't turn into arguing, no matter what. Good luck and I'm so glad that we're able to help you out here!
Tags: sex, condoms, parents, safe sex, talking to parents
Why Won’t He Stay Hard? (Sex Ed 101)
katie, 21 writes...
So, me and my boyfriend have just started trying to have sex but he can't stay up. I'm his first girlfriend and he's never had sex or any kind of sexual experience before. He's more than happy to take care of my needs but I really want to reciprocate. He can get halfway there, but then he loses it. When he is fully hard its only for a little bit and if he puts on a condom or we get ready to do anything then he loses it again. We've talked about it, and he says he doesn't feel nervous or anything and that he doesn't know why its happening. He doesn't have a problem when he's alone and jacking off, and he says its not me or anything. Is there something I can do to help him out? He's only 22.Brittany says...
Being a young adult and not being able to maintain an erection isn't totally uncommon, but it can still be really frustrating. Does your boyfriend smoke (cigarettes, cigars, marijuana) or drink alcohol? Any of those can affect him, especially if done is excess. It could definitely be mental, and even if you both feel relaxed, it could be subconscious. Try some dirty talking in bed when you two are fooling around after a few minutes, or whenever he would usually start to lose his erection. While I don't think it's a medical condition since he can stay erect when he's alone, it could be something better taken care of by a professional, such as a counselor, if nothing is ever working.
Tags: sex, condoms, staying hard, erections, going soft
Could I Be… Pregnant? (Sex Ed 101)
wackowacko1, 16 writes...
I seriously need some reassurance ASAP! I had sex for the first time with my boyfriend about a week ago. We didn't use a condom, but I've been on the pill for about 4 months. He didn't come at all. I'm not on my seven day break of the pill, and it's the third day and I still haven't had my period! Is this a bad sign? I've been taking it correctly and haven't missed any. I did make myself sick about 4 hours after I took it the day I had sex, but it was only a tiny bit of vomit. Please help! :(
Brittany says...
Is it normal for you to not have your period by the 3rd day of your break? If it is - don't worry. If it's not, there can be plenty of other factors besides pregnancy, such as stress, sickness, etc. If you period doesn't come by the time you start your new pack (definitely start your new pack as you should, no matter what happens!) buy a pregnancy test and hope for the best. Remember - the pill is not 100% effective!
Tags: pregnancy, sex, condoms, sex ed 101, the pill, contraceptives