WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CONDOM

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 (9^th -12^th 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. It is 12,000-15,000 years old (Parisot, 1987).  According to Planned parenthood federation of America and CDC( center for disease control) ; the condom is advocated for active sexual people as it prevents STIs and unwanted pregnancy ( almost anyone knows and believes that) but more research needs to be conducted to more firmly establish condom efficacy (NIAID et al., 2001).  To read the report, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/PPFA/truth_condoms_07-05.pdf 

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. About half of all sexually active 18- to 22-year-old women are infected with it. Most people with HPV have no symptoms. If present, symptoms include genital warts. HPV can cause cervical, penile or anal cancer. In women, cervical cancer causes about the same number of deaths as HIV/AIDS every year.

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 it has been illegal to ride a motorcycle without a crash helmet since 1973. One young lady thought this law was a  good idea; I came off my bike ( okada . Lol) at 40 mph, she said, and if I hadn't been wearing my helmet, I wouldn't be here now. No, dummy, if you hadn't been wearing a helmet, you wouldn't have been riding so fast. The point is that the false perception of safety changes people's behavior. A bit of how's your father with a floozies may not be quite as exhilarating as a literal bike ride, but every time you have sex using a condom that is another 14% chance of failure.

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