Religious
people have come out boldly to take their stand, scientists too are not ready
to shift their ground… and in all these, aside from just slipping on the condom
and using it and probably liking the odor ( yea, I hear some condoms these days
have flavors), have you even taken 2 minutes to read something about it before?
…ok , lets be real, aside from knowing that condom is used during sex to
prevent unwanted pregnancy. Seriously ... What else do you know about the
condom?... Considering you use it almost everyday ( ha-ha, did I just say
that?) … sorry, no one is here but it’s the truth, but hey, lets just sit and
go through this little article together
Condoms
have become household names; by that I mean anyone can simply get into a
supermarket and buy a condom. It was increasingly alarming to find out that
47.8% of high school students (9th -12th grade) as at
2007 were engaged in sex and about 7.1% of them before the age of 13. Why?
Well, anyone can easily buy a condom or better still, steal one. And I should
not forget that during the 2010 world cup in SA, over 30,000 ‘Rape-Axe condoms’
(female condoms with teeth developed to prevent rape, designed by Dr. Ehlers)
were handed over for free ( to read more about it, http://feministtruths.blogspot.com/2009/05/truth-about-teenagers-and-oral-sex.html)
The earliest known illustration of a
man using a condom during sexual intercourse is painted on the wall of a cave
in France
BUT MY QUESTION ABOUT The Condom—Do They
Make Sex Safer
The Condom: For years you've heard people
say, "Use a condom every time you have sex." You may think that
condoms make sex safe, but research shows that's not the case. Condoms used to
prevent pregnancy fail in about 14% of couples during the first year of use.
Even if used always, condoms just reduce your risk of getting a sexually
transmitted infection (STI); they don't eliminate it.
The truth is, even if you use a condom every
time you have sex, you're still at risk for both pregnancy and STIs. How
serious is your risk? Keep reading.
Each year, there are about 19 million new
infections; half of these are in people under 25. Many of these STIs have no
cure. Untreated STIs can cause infertility, cancer and even death.
Oral Sex & Condoms: To date, there is no
evidence that consistent use of condoms during oral sex reduces your chance of
getting most STIs, including HIV. While one study shows decreased risk of
gonorrhea with consistent condom use during oral sex, another shows increased
risk of HIV.
Anal Sex & Condoms: To date, there is no
evidence that consistent condom use reduces your chance of getting most STIs
during anal sex. However, there is some evidence that consistent use of condoms
for anal sex may cut your chance of getting HIV by up to half.
HPV (Human Papillomavirus): If you use
condoms every time you have vaginal sex, you can cut your chance of getting HPV
by up to half. HPV is a very common STI in the US
Genital Herpes: If you use condoms every
time you have vaginal sex, you can cut your chance of getting genital herpes in
half. Genital herpes infects 1 out of 6 teens and adults. Once you're infected,
you have it for life. If you don't stay on medication, sores can keep coming
back. Even if you have no symptoms, you can still spread the infection to
others. People with herpes are also at greater risk for becoming infected with
HIV.
Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: If you use condoms
every time you have vaginal sex, you can cut your chance of getting chlamydia
or gonorrhea in half. Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STI. Most people
with chlamydia or gonorrhea have no symptoms. Even without symptoms you can
pass on these infections. If left untreated, both chlamydia and gonorrhea can
cause long-term pelvic pain and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID may
interfere with your ability to get or stay pregnant.
HIV/AIDS: If you use condoms every time you
have vaginal sex, you can cut your chance of getting HIV by 85%. That might
sound pretty good, but that still leaves you at risk for infection. Every year,
40,000 Americans get an HIV infection. HIV/AIDS has killed nearly half a
million Americans and the number is growing.
Do People Use Condoms All the Time? Only
about two-thirds of sexually active 15- to 19-year-old males report having used
condoms at their last sexual contact. And, as males get older, fewer use
condoms every time they have sex. Even among couples where one partner has HIV,
less than half use condoms every time they have sex. And not everyone who uses
condoms uses them correctly. And, even if they are used correctly, they
sometimes break or slip off.
MY OPINION?... It is widely agreed that as a
form of birth control, condoms have a failure rate of about 15% – 14% according
to this website. That means they are 86% successful, which sounds good, but
when one considers both what is at risk, and other factors, it is not so
successful at all.
Imagine this scenario, you're boarding a jumbo
jet for the first time and are not unnaturally a little nervous. “Is a plane
this big really safe?” you ask the stewardess.
She
smiles sweetly as she replies, “Of course, madam, 86% of our planes never
crash.”
Would
you still feel a little nervous? Now apply this to sexually transmitted
diseases; obviously if condoms are only 86% efficient as a means of birth
control they will be no more efficient, probably less, at preventing the
transmission of STD.
Finally, do a little thought experiment.
You are at a party and you meet the woman (or man) of your dreams. You leave arm
in arm with this gorgeous creature, you're just about to ask your place or
mine? when you heard the strange words: “I should warn you I have
HIV/syphilis --- (fill in the blank) but don't worry, we can use a condom. Will
you still be in the mood?
The other thing about condoms is that they
lull people into a false sense of security; the same thing happens with road
safety. Campaigners had been telling us for years that it is far more dangerous
to ride a motorcycle without a crash helmet than with one. Many people
swallowed this (well-meaning) propaganda, including the government of the day,
and in Britain
The Bottom Line: Condoms don't make sex
safe, just less risky. Although condoms can reduce your risk for some STIs,
they don't eliminate it. You can still get an STI or get pregnant.
To completely reduce your risk for some
STIs, you should avoid sexual activity (oral, vaginal or anal sex) until you
are faithful to one partner. If you've already had sex, see a doctor about
getting checked for STIs.
Waiting to have sex until you are in a
faithful, lifelong relationship (such as marriage) is the only certain way to
avoid being infected sexually.
that's my opinion.. what is yours
