Okay so this site has been pretty static for about 4 months as we had a few technical issues which didn't rise to the top of the ole priority list. But things seem to be working again now and we're off. Meanwhile Condomania began a new blog at Art Condoms to explore the launch of our new condom project. Our webmaster has also finally brought back to life the long lost thought to be dead The Safer Sex Page.
And to think that only a couple of years ago they hid regular old rubbers behind the pharmacy counter.
"There is an overall demystification of the sex industry going on in the country," says Carol Carrozza, vice president of marketing for LifeStyles, the brand behind 4Play.
Those who fear for our collective innocence needn't worry: Condoms have been out of the closet before.
Reigning Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera had to cancel the walk through Kamathipura to spread awareness on HIV/AIDS as the crowd went out of control.
Here's a link to a Hindustan Times article about Kamathipura. From reading how dire the place is to sexual health I'd wager they need a beauty queen hiking through the district handing out condoms pretty much every day.
We at Condomania tend to have a great deal of respect for Dr. Drew, his misunderstanding of condoms size notwithstanding, so none of us were surprised to learn of his newest initiative (that we are aware of): HPV Confidential.
There was a preacher whose wife was expecting a baby, so he went before his congregation to ask for a raise. After much discussion, they passed a rule that whenever the preacher's family expanded, so would his paycheck. After six children, this started to get expensive and the congregation decided to hold another meeting to discuss the preacher's salary.
There was much yelling and bickering about how much the clergyman's additional children were costing the church. Finally, the preacher got up and spoke to the crowd, "Children are a gift from God." Silence fell on the assembled crowd.
In the back pew, a little old lady stood up and in her frail voice said, "Rain is a gift from God, too, but when we get too much of it, we wear rubbers."
And the Congregation said, "Amen."
June 27th is National HIV Testing Day. Check out hivtest.org for resources on HIV testing including a national database of HIV testing sites and answers to many questions about HIV/AIDS and testing. Stop putting it off and get tested today!
A recent ABC news feature & a seperate study in the UK interviewed teens & their parents about sex, perspectives on the topic -- especially in regard to what sexual activity at what age kids are participating in them -- were wildly different.
Parents can find out more about teens & sex at the following Web sites: TeenPregnancy.org; sexetc.org; gurl.com; TalkingWithKids.org
Meanwhile, arguing to withhold help from people ravaged by disease because someone somewhere might have sex using a condom — now that's "wicked."
Kathleen Parker makes some important points about the Catholic church's evolving stance on condoms and its effect on American national politics.
The number of HIV diagnoses for U.S. men who have sex with men increased by 8 percent last year, which also marked the highest number of HIV/AIDS cases in the States since the 1980s. The Center for Disease Control estimates 1,039,000 to 1,185,000 Americans were living with HIV in December 2003, an increase of almost 25 percent since their last report in 2002.
Los Angeles County health officials unveiled a controversial tool last week to fight the spread of HIV and other diseases: a Web site lets people anonymously tell sex partners they may be infected.
The site, inSPOTLA.org, is co-sponsored by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation
Now you can play with condoms and get paid for it, too! Just click here to create your own unique postcard with a pro-condom message for teens and enter it into the Respect Yourself, Protect Yourself condom campaign. If it's clever enough, your postcard could win you $500 in cash!
The Kaiser Family Foundation study reports 70% of all TV shows have sexual content - About 14 percent of shows with sexual content also have discussions about contraception, waiting to have sex or other "safer sex" messages, up from 9 percent in 1998. (read full article)
The Ruckus Society has introduced the Karl Rove NeoCondom, produced by Condomania's custom condom division. This first edition prophylactic is embossed with the face of our President's Chief Political Strategist (i.e. "Bush's Brain") and reads "Some Things Should Never Leak."
A protestor is shown here wearing the condom during Karl Rove's fourth appearance before a grand jury in Washington, DC, October 14, 2005.
Thanks, GorillaMask!
We at Condomania just learned about Shelby Knox, the "Sex-Ed Girl". Bravo! This young lady needs all the support she can get. There are not enough folks willing to stand up for education. Those that do get Condomania's respect.
Two views on sex, err...condoms at Post Secret.
Ms. Lola, a very spry young thing from France sent us a note today informing us of her new single "No Strings Attached" and while we can certainly get down with the sentiment, I mean look at those lips, but really honey there are always strings attached. Hence Condomania!
(She's young, we're sure she'll learn)
This is the type of online exhibit we can fully support, err, stand behind, err, oh never mind just go check it out.
Who knew Arnold Schwarzenegger had such a head for the condom business?
Recently, some men taking Viagra have had partial, permanent vision loss in either one or both eyes, raising questions about a link between the blindness and Viagra. (full story)
Apparently iPod's now come with condoms!
Who ever said you can't find a penis on mainstream tv? (thx Fleshbot!)
A rare sexually transmitted disease that can scar the genitals has been found in two patients in New York, and the strain is the same as that recently detected in Europe, the city's health commissioner said Wednesday. Lymphogranuloma venereum, or LGV, is a form of chlamydia that can damage the bowels and scar the anus. Among the few patients that have been identified in the United States, most also had the AIDS virus, Health Department Commissioner Thomas Frieden said at a news conference. "We know LGV increases the risk of the spread of HIV because it causes ulcers and bleeding," he said.
Lymphogranuloma venereum, or LGV, is a form of chlamydia that can damage the bowels and scar the anus. Among the few patients that have been identified in the United States, most also had the AIDS virus, Health Department Commissioner Thomas Frieden said at a news conference.
"We know LGV increases the risk of the spread of HIV because it causes ulcers and bleeding," he said.
More here.
Steve at 123 Greetings reminds me that December is AIDS Awareness month.
A study, led by the research teams at the University of North Carolina and John Hopkins University, has found that injected contraceptives like Depo-Provera have a direct relation to STD contraction.
According to the study, women using Depo-Provera were three times as likely to become infected with chlamydia or gonorrhea.
(read full article)
The U.S. Supreme Court has once again rejected an effort by Congress to restrict access to the Internet, this time upholding an injunction that blocks enforcement of the Child Online Protection Act (COPA). "The Court has made it safe for artists, sex educators, and web publishers to communicate with adults about sexuality without risking jail time." --Read the complete article at PlanetOut.com
Also see Ashcroft v. ACLU
Obese men with difficulties in getting an erection can improve their sexual function by exercising and losing weight, Italian researchers have said.
This is surely something we could have told you!
A former employee of Condomania, Matt, has a blog now and has brought to our attention this nifty little car! Check out the Trojan logo.
Looking for some Chinese-language information on safer sex? Check out sex-discovery.com. They also carry many unique condoms that aren't available in the U.S.
Who knew you could not only date online but also read reviews of dating online. Condomania is working on a personals site. Hopefully this summer we'll get it up.
This is a fun story. The Cho-San Express has 8 cars driving the streets of Sweden's 3 largest cities delivering condoms to the home of their customers. So if you're "busy" and can't get out of the house to retrieve some condoms you simply call up Cho-San and they arrive like the calvery to "save the day."
Of course this is assuming you can wait. I'm afraid I'd have already lost my load by the time the car service arrives. (I know, I know, too much information...)
Adam Glickman, Condomania's founder, actually began concept over a decade ago when he and a partner wandered the halls of Tufts University delivering condoms to the dorm rooms of busy young coeds. Ahh what a great job to have, if you can get it!
This article in a college newspaper serves as somewhat of an introduction to the rich history of the condom. Perhaps the ritual artifact the author refers to is the penis sheath? Here's another pic of men wearing penis sheaths in New Guinea
Joel at Gizmodo has found this great video about our VICON Vibrating condoms. He asks the right question: is it a condom or a cock ring? We don't much care as long as we can keep its oh so pleasing vibration snug against our privates!
Matt Morin at Intrepid Media is our new favorite condom maven! Keep "up" the good work Matt. Let us know if you end up playing ring toss in the dark.
Phone Booth Offers Condoms for Sale!
Somalia has deemed condoms illegal.
Apparently just before Christmas the Playsafe Condom company had skimpily clad female Santas parade around Lucky Road in Singapore giving out 50,000 condom samples to Christmas shoppers. Which is all well and good but how come we can't find any pictures of these Santarinas?
Panel backs over-the-counter 'morning-after' pill. We at Condomania give our appreciation for this important ruling. Let us hope the FDA follows normal protocol and follows its panel's suggestion.
In the last election, in 1999, his Liberal Democrats — who favor banning condoms to increase the numbers of native Russians and legalizing polygamy — had fallen to only 6 percent. But the encouragement that Putin has given nationalist sentiment breathed new life into [Vladimir] Zhirinovsky's appeal.
This sounds like a stupid paranoid idea but hey with the quality of Russian condoms this may not be such a bad thing.
If you think AIDS is a disease mostly of young men, think again. Women are the fastest-growing segment of people to contract the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS.
While it doesn't seem apparent why this editorial is titled: Are condoms evil? it does serve as a good introduction to current issues in HIV/AIDS in Slovakia.
To stem the nation's highest incidence of AIDS, the [District of Columbia] Health Department will soon install 50 plain white condom dispensers at the departments of Human Services, Motor Vehicles and Public Works, among others, the Washington Post reported. "They're going to be as common as water fountains," Ivan O. Torres, interim director of the city's HIV/AIDS Administration, said of the dispensers. "This is no longer something to be ashamed of. It affects all of us." The administration plans to pass out in the next year: about 550,000 male condoms, 45,000 latex dental dams and about 30,000 female condoms in the government officers but at beauty salons, barbershops and nightclubs. The district's public school system currently gives out about 50,000 male condoms a year. Robert E. Rector, a family-issues researcher at the Heritage Foundation questions the effectiveness of the government program. "The No. 1 determinant of whether a person will catch a sexually transmitted disease is the number of lifetime sexual partners," he said.
Robert E. Rector, a family-issues researcher at the Heritage Foundation questions the effectiveness of the government program.
"The No. 1 determinant of whether a person will catch a sexually transmitted disease is the number of lifetime sexual partners," he said.
Obviously Rector is correct but what that has to do with the availability of condoms is beyond me. Just because condoms are readily available doesn't mean someone is going to have a large number of partners. Here I sit surrounded by condoms but I haven't had a partner in years.
Pope John Paul II has advocated the used of flavoured condoms after Vatican researchers discovered they are technically classified as "novelty toys" rather than contraceptives.
We just knew he'd come around around! Wink, Wink! Of course flavored condoms sold in the United States are no longer considered "novelty" condoms and now must pass the same stringent quality controls as normal condoms.
Our own Miss Joy will speaking at the Joy to the World Gala in New York City tonight.
The long awaited Fleshbot has launched and is actively exploring the Paris Hilton sex tape scandal! Oh please.
Oy, this is hilarious! I especially like the weightlifting couple. "Look ma, no hands!"
Here's an excerpt from the Judo matches: If anyone is on the fast track to the top of the Judo pile, it's Tricia Williams. Growing up in the seaside town of Hastings, Williams soon realised she had a talent for intercourse and fighting.
At least that's what our customers tell us.
The oldest known condoms in the world - 17th Century creations made of animal and fish intestine - are to leave the UK to be displayed at a Dutch sex exhibition.
Clocking in at a comfortable 258 pages the book covers the whole gamut of modern sex. Chapter topics include: oral sex, anal sex, ejaculation, sex toys, condoms, lube, fisting, BDSM, and lots more. With ample photography (cute models without that whole porn star look), a generally informative and fun tone, and a distinct lack of hangups about "normal" sex makes this book a favorite around the Condomania offices.
If you buy any book about sex this year it should definitely be The Big Bang: Nerve's Guide to the New Sexual Universe!
Disclaimer: Our webmaster is head over heels in love with Em & Lo. (Although he admits he doesn't know which young lady is which. Shhhhh...don't tell.)
In cooperation with Nerve we have a sample chapter of the book for your enjoyment:
There is a long-standing fire-and-brimstone tradition of public health taking a backseat to religion. Misinformation about condoms is widely disseminated by anti-choice radicals from here to Congress, mostly at the expense of the health of women and teens—including blatant lies like "safe sex education encourages promiscuity," and "the HIV virus can leak through the pores in latex," and "condoms can cause cervical cancer." Ahhhbullshitchoo!
The scientifically sound results are in. Honest, fact-based safer sex education programs and easy access to condoms help reduce rates of disease and pregnancy among teens who are already sexually active. Consistent and correct condom use reduces the risk of HIV transmission by as much as 10,000 times (the studies that reported the HIV virus leaking through latex were done using particles 100 million times smaller than the HIV found in semen). And while condoms admittedly do not cover all the genital skin through which some infections can be passed (such as herpes and HPV), they do cover the areas of the penis where the majority of sexually transmitted diseases and infections hang out. In fact, failure to use condoms has been shown to be one of the highest risk factors for contracting the HPV infections that can cause cervical cancer. By reducing the exchange of the bodily fluids most likely to carry sexually transmitted diseases (ejaculate, vaginal secretions, saliva, sore discharges), condoms are pretty much the only form of birth control that can help protect against said STDs. (Diaphragms and spermicides might help with some infections, but they don't hold a candle to condoms.) When your worries about STDs and pregnancy are reduced, you can better focus on the matter at hand: you and your partner's pleasure. Condoms are readily available, inexpensive (on average, about seventy-five cents a pop), disposable, and cause few side effects, if any. Plus, if you get the really thick kind, they can make sex last longer. Goooooooo, condoms!
If we hear any more whining about how condoms are annoying, uncomfortable deal breakers, we are going to puke. Could it be you've been using nonlubricated, inch-thick, five-cent prophylactics from a vending machine all your life? So condoms don't figure in your full-on, flesh-to-flesh fantasy world—we get it. We're also sure that oozing genital ulcers and child-support payments don't pop up in that utopia either.
If you make putting on a condom an integral part of sex, it's inherently sexy. What could be hotter than kneeling above your luvva, staring them straight in the eye, tearing the wrapper off a condom like a mini striptease, and oh so slowly unraveling it over the throbbing specimen in play? As Yogi Berra once said, "Half this game is ninety percent mental." If you think it's hot, then it will be.
Granted, sensual pleasure was not a top priority for the American condom industry during most of the twentieth century, and very few technological advances were made. But leave it to good ol' fashioned international economic competition to finally create some innovation in the biz. About ten years ago, Japan threatened to lure American customers away with their new, ultra-thin inventions, so the Yankee companies finally stepped up to the plate. Today there's a whole slew of new materials, shapes, and sizes designed not only to protect, but to provide pleasure. Who knew? The key is to invest in that pleasure. Experiment with different brands. Seek out thinner varieties for a warmer, more natural feel—as long as they're FDA approved, they've passed the same safety requirements the thicker brands have. And if you're still having trouble getting over the hump during a hump, then practice: Masturbate with a condom to condition your cock-a-doodle for "the real thing." Gals, don't just leave it up to your partners to provide; have an opinion on the matter—and supplies on hand. And everybody, pay a little extra, would you? These are your family jewels, after all. Don't they deserve the very best?
Once upon a time—1993, to be exact—a clever Indian surgeon by the name of A.V.K. Reddy thought outside the condom box and designed a prophylactic with, get this, pleasure in mind. Ingenious. The resulting Pleasure Plus condom has a patented, asymmetrical pouch of extra ribbed latex that lines up with the sensitive frenulum (where the underside of the shaft meets the head). More room means less constricted nerve endings; extra material means extra stimulation. The ladies even benefit from the bunching that occurs near the base.
After Reddy's company went bankrupt and he lost his Pleasure Plus rights to another condom manufacturer, Reddy had to start over. We like to think he just couldn't get rid of the voices in his head, à la Field of Dreams: "If you build it, they will come." Well, build it he did. Though the Inspiral looks like a balloon sculpture on acid, its bulging pouches spiral around the head of the penis for a looser fit and much more sensitivity. It was designed with the penis in mind, but women really seem to go gaga for it, too. It's one of the most expensive latex brands out there, but add a little lube inside the head and you'd probably be willing to pay.
And now it seems Trojan's caught on to this whole "pleasure" thing with their new Trojan Her Pleasure: a latex condom that balloons out midway up the shaft, all the way up to the tip, with eleven alternating rows of raised bars around the bottom half of the shaft. These ribs for her pleasure might actually work for once, since they line up with the outer third of the vagina during penetration—where it counts.The loose fit of the top half should help put a smile on his face, too.
You name it, condoms have probably been made from it at some point during their centuries-old history: oiled silk paper, papyrus soaked in water, fish bladders, linen, thin leather, tortoiseshell, animal horn, human muscle tissue, gourds, sheep intestines....In fact, some are still made from animal membranes for those allergic to latex. Delicately referred to as "lambskin condoms," these hoods have a natural feel and keep runaway sperm from escaping, but they are too porous to keep the HIV virus contained. So unless you're in a monogamous, HIV-negative relationship, fugghedaboutit.
Condoms became "rubbers" when they began being mass-produced from latex, a strong and thinpored type of rubber, in the mid-1840s. Today, it's still the prophylactic material of choice for producers and consumers, as it protects against pregnancy and HIV transmission (not to mention the fact that it's cheap). But latex is not without its faults: It smells kind of, well, rubbery; it disintegrates when combined with oil-based lubes; it can feel like wearing a thick winter sock; and it's prone to breakage under duress (e.g., too tight a fit, or not enough lube). But that's just nitpicking when you consider all the sexual freedom latex provides you.
The newest godsend in the condom department is polyurethane—cue the singing angels!—the material of the future, a Walt Disney wet dream, plastic. The benefits of polyurethane are myriad: much, much thinner, odor-free and tasteless, transparent and thus respectful of every erection's inherent beauty, not as sensitive to direct heat and light, compatible with any and all lubricants (including oil-based ones), more heat conductive than latex (a major factor in men's pleasure), and hypoallergenic. But—and there's always a but—it's not as elastic as latex, so it can't stretch as much before breaking (which is just another great reason to use lube—it helps reduce the likelihood of breakage). While laboratory tests have proven that sperm and viruses (including HIV) cannot pass through a polyurethane wall (it's 100 percent nonpermeable), the FDA has yet to establish a protocol for testing the material's rates of effectiveness against STDs and pregnancy, and therefore cannot wholeheartedly recommend it for such in good conscience. (Only those who are allergic to latex get the FDA's polyurethane thumbs-up.) Still, in all the years Condomania.com (one of the leading online retail condom stores) has been selling the polyurethane condoms available (Avanti Super Thin and Trojan Supra), they have never received any complaints about their effectiveness.
Condoms can be lubricated, lubricated-with-spermicide, or nonlubricated. The first kind are either coated with water-based lube (a.k.a. jelly) or, more commonly, have silicone-based lube built in. Just remember that silicone lube will destroy silicone toys, so when you're swapping props, be sure to use condoms with water-based lube only. Most lubricated condoms automatically come with spermicide to help prevent pregnancy—which is great if that's your only concern. But if STDs are, too, then drop the condom and walk away—nonoxynol-9, which is the condom manufacturers' spermicide of choice, has been shown in some studies to cause vaginal irritation, which can help spread infections like HIV. Nonlubricated condoms may be the best way to go, because then you can custom-pick your lube to suit you, your condom, and your toys. If we haven't made it painfully obvious already, we're staunch advocates of lube—a little drop on the inside of the right condom, a little on the outside, and paradise is in your third arm's reach.
If we've said it once, we've said it once: It's not the size of the boat but the motion of the ocean. However, you've got to outfit that boat properly if you want smooth sailing. Experiment with different lengths, widths, and shapes to get the right fit—a millimeter or two could make all the difference. If a condom is too tight, not only will it break more easily, it'll choke the nerve endings in the penis, reducing sensitivity. And if it's too short, it'll leave more skin exposed to possible infection and slip off more easily (though this is usually only a problem for men of the most porno proportions). Read labels: Some companies use the term "large" to refer to diameter, rather than length, so be sure you're on the same page. For more headroom, and thus more sensation against the head from the loose material, choose a condom that's wider at the tip and tapered at the shaft (the different diameters may be listed on the label or it may say "oversized tip" or "balloon top"). Just be sure it's not too loose, or you and your pride (not to mention your partner) will be headed for dangerous waters. Contempo Exotica Snugger-Fit is the shortest and slimmest condom with FDA approval—and, regrettably, the cheesiest naked-lady packaging—available. That's right, there's no such thing as "small" in the condom biz. Smart cookies.
We know you don't want to hear it, but you can give and get diseases like gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital herpes, syphilis, HPV and HIV from having unprotected oral sex. Of course, licking latex is about as tasty as sucking on a rubber band (to say nothing of the spermicide that might temporarily numb your tongue). Here's when you reach for the flavored barrier protection. Since flavored brands are only available in latex, it'll still taste like you're sucking on a rubber band, but at least it'll have some kick: strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, orange, tangerine, banana, grape, mint, even cola. Plasticky-tasting polyurethane condoms don't come flavored, but you can add lickable products like Hot Licks and ID Juicy Lube, or even chocolate sauce and whipped cream, since the oil in those foods won't damage polyurethane (unlike latex). Whatever flavored agent you use, just be sure to keep it away from sensitive vaginas to avoid infections and allergic reactions.
To go bump in the night, try textured condoms. Traditional ribbed ones look a bit like flexi-straws (okay, so you have to squint to see the resemblance); designed for the nonpenetrating partner's pleasure, ribbed condoms may or may not do it for you—we think probably not, though a placebo effect may be all ya need. Trojan Her Pleasures (see above) may work better than others, since they've got the ribs in the right place. Or try ultra-thin condoms with tiny bumps or studs on the outside, inside, or both. Kimono Sensations are 20 percent thinner than standard condoms, with rows of textured "sensi-dots" lining the inside for his pleasure.
They even make condoms with "climax control" lubricant on the inside for those with stamina issues or marathon aspirations. (Trojan Extended Pleasure latex condoms are the first to contain a desensitizer—4 percent benzocaine—in the lubricant.) But whatever you use, just make sure it's FDA approved and not some novelty item they've been selling at Spencer's for the past twenty years.
Actually these types of paper cuts can be quite fun to explain. Here let me show you...
This fellow, Greg Feltes, has a great snarky response to Nick Arhos' little screed, mentioned here previously, about the importance of tamping down birth control because its immoral or some such nonsense. Here's an excerpt:
Fellow Northern Star columnist Nick Arhos recently solicited help from our readers in getting the university to do away with free condoms. He obviously will succeed because fighting sexually transmitted diseases obviously is a fad, just like the XFL and the Backstreet Boys.
I think we need to prepare for the eventuality of his success and come up with cost-efficient, makeshift condoms by using things laying around your apartment or residence hall. Some of my ideas: Mike's Hard Lemonade labels, discarded Ramen noodle boxes or printouts of DARS reports.
If I read this correctly being married in Nairobi gives the man the right to exert his "conjugal rights" and have sex with whomsoever he wants to outside of the marriage. That certainly strikes me as great recipe for the spread of disease. Although most likely a terrible recipe for a good marriage.
Of course this shouldn't be surprising if it's true that some in Africa believe that having sex with virgins cures AIDS.
In Japan they have a vending machine which dispenses condoms according to blood type. Weird!
Robert has an interesting site about Herpes. But I'm afraid he is incorrect when he advises some chap that non-latex condoms allow the herpes virus to pass through the membrane. Sorry but, no, that's simply not true.
It looks like our old buddy Gene & the boys continue to
