Do it right: Use a condom

Intercourse, reproduction, lovemaking, coitus, copulation, fornication: Sex.

Having intercourse is a big decision for most people my age.

Whether it’s your first time with a new partner or just your first time ever, the variables of who, where ““ and even what ““ will change your life.

Current sexual health, previous partners and possible consequences can affect your physical and mental well-being.

Slap on a condom and you’re good to go, right?

Not exactly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “laboratory studies have demonstrated that latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barrier to particles the size of STD pathogens” when used correctly.

This statement should come as no surprise.

However, breakage, slippage and assembly malfunction can all affect the proper use of a condom, and more than just these technicalities can affect the condom usage, especially for young people and college students.

Our generation has the safe-sex philosophy of always using condoms, no matter what has taken hold of our minds at the moment.

The key phrase here is “when used correctly.”

Research by the Kinsey Institute on condom discomfort focused on its effect on condom use: “Observed associations suggest that discomfort could be a potential antecedent of condom breakage, incomplete use, and less motivation to use condoms.”

Essentially, if a condom doesn’t feel right, the discomfort could be a sign of improper fit or malfunction. Discomfort may also contribute to people not wanting to use condoms at all.

Let’s face it: Obviously, the unnatural boundary of protected sex changes the feeling of unprotected sex. But an active sex life provides too many risks to altogether avoid protecting yourself.

In an exclusive relationship, where faithfulness allows no risk of an STI, there are birth control options that allow for sex without a condom, such as the female hormone pill, the patch or the ring.

However, without sounding like too much of a bitter cynic, at our age, exclusivity is difficult to come by.

It is better to be safe than to wind up surprised with a positive diagnosis for an STI in a doctor’s office, feeling confused about who lied to whom.

In an effort to discover the problems that occur in the misuse of condoms, Dr. Richard Crosby of the Kinsey Institute developed a study to identify “the prevalence and types of condom-associated discomfort among university students.”

Among students who reported any kind of discomfort, tight-fitting condoms, vaginal irritation and loss of sensation were the most popular descriptions.

Those types of discomfort lead to breakage, incomplete use and less motivation to use condoms.

It doesn’t take a genius to stop using something that causes discomfort.

Key practices that could help avoid such problems include adding lubricant to condoms before they dry out, using condoms that fit properly and making sure each partner is adequately aroused.

The movies may depict instant arousal and immediate insertion, but remember: Those characters are not actually having sex. They don’t have to deal with potential discomfort and, therefore, they don’t have to take the time to work out these precautions.

Steal a longer kiss, take a little more time exploring your partner’s body and invest in a bottle of personal lubricant, even if you feel you’re satisfied with your own lubricating abilities.

These practices will not only ease any condom discomfort in the pleasure aspect of sex, but will also keep you protected from breakage and slippage that could result in STI contraction.

Condom technology is continuously advancing. Various flavors, textures, colors and sizes allow a close second to the natural feeling of condom-less sex.

But think about weighing the risks and benefits of using condoms:

Ten seconds to roll on a condom and apply lubricant.

A 10-second phone call from your doctor giving you a positive diagnosis for chlamydia.

Which 10-second event would you rather experience?

Do you use condoms correctly? E-mail Forde at [email protected]. Send general comments to [email protected].