1. Condoms fail all the time!
Actually, when used correctly, condoms are 98% effective in preventing pregnancy (for couples in which one partner can impregnate and the other can become pregnant). They also help prevent the spread of HIV and STDs.
2. They don’t feel good / I just don’t like them.
If you didn’t like the brand of soap you used, would you automatically stop using soap? If your refrigerator wasn’t cold enough, would you just stop refrigerating your food? No way! The same goes for condoms, if you didn’t like one brand, experiment with different brands! Condoms come in all sorts of sizes, materials, colors, textures, and flavors. If you experienced discomfort with a certain type of condom, you may need a larger or smaller size. Polyurethane condoms are available for those with latex allergies, as well as female/internal condoms which are made of nitrile. While sensation during sex may reduce slightly, the use of lubricants, the thinness of these materials, and their varieties of features can maximize pleasure. Safer is sexier, folks.
3. I am / My partner is on a hormonal birth control, we don’t need condoms.
Using hormonal birth control inconsistently or with certain other medications that interfere with the birth control can reduce its effectiveness. Birth control also does not prevent the contraction of HIV/STDs.
4. I trust that my partner doesn’t have STD’s.
Unfortunately, people can lie about their status or about whether they have been having sex outside of the relationship and inadvertently put their partner at risk of contracting HIV/STDs. Most people who have an STD are not even aware of it because they display no symptoms. If your partner claims that they have never had sex, ask them what they constitute as sex. One might not consider oral sex or some form of genital contact to be “real sex,” but both can increase the risk of contracting an STD. Want to be sure of your and your partner’s status? Get tested together! It can be a great bonding experience and help build trust in your sex lives. Testing and treatment (as well as condoms!) are free or offered at low cost at Planned Parenthood.
5. But it’s just oral sex!
STDs are passed through the exchange of genital fluids as well as skin-to-skin contact, therefore condoms and dental dams should still be used during oral sex. Also, STDs such as herpes, chlamydia, and gonorrhea can be located in the throat or genitals and be passed through oral sex.
6. We “pull-out.”
The pull-out method can be ineffective due to pre-ejaculation. Prior to ejaculation, some seminal fluids are released and can contain sperm. Even if semen is ejaculated onto the vulva, the sperm can still travel into the vagina. Some may find it difficult to time themselves just right in order to pull out and keep their penis away from the vulva before ejaculation. Pulling-out does not reduce ones risk of contracting HIV/STDs.
7. Putting on a condom ruins the mood/spontaneity.
Nothing really ruins the mood like an STD or unwanted pregnancy. With practice, condoms can take just seconds to put on correctly. Having your partner help you put the condom on can be pretty hot, too. Female/internal condoms can be inserted up to a few hours prior to sex to preserve the spontaneity.
What are some excuses you’ve heard?
