Like many sexually active, heterosexual women, I have had my fair share of experiences with men trying to explain to me that condoms just don’t “work” for them. I’m a little embarrassed to report that in my younger years when I was less experienced and much less confident, I might have tried to convince them otherwise or negotiate some way for us to have sex anyway (usually ending up doing it on his terms). Thankfully, these days I have no problem just saying, “that’s bullshit” and “this ain’t happening unless you wrap it up.” I know this can be hard to do, so luckily, we can just start shutting down this whole stupid condom myth with the help of science.
A recent study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine surveyed nearly 500 heterosexual men aged 18-24. The study found that 38 percent of the men said condoms had no effect on their performance, while almost the same number reported experiencing problems either during the application of the condom or during sex itself. Interestingly, the study also found that those who cited condoms as a barrier to an erection were more likely to be suffering from general erectile dysfunction whether they used a condom or not.
According to Dr. Cynthia Graham, co-author of the study, “condom-associated erection problems have been a very under-researched topic.” She also says that increased research on the topic could encourage people to use condoms more often and more correctly.
In the study, researchers noted that many men reported that performance difficulties usually only lasted for the first minute of sexual activity. The report also showed that more than a third of the participants had never been taught how to use a condom correctly, which could be a major factor in why young men believe that using one will affect their performance.
This seems totally shocking, but when you think about the extreme lack of effective sexual education programs in schools, the whole thing actually makes a lot of sense. It’s not the condom’s fault, it’s the fact that boys just don’t know how to use them. So, next time a man tries to tell you condoms reduce feeling and make him lose his boner, hand him a copy of The Journal of Sexual Medicine and Shut. It. Down.
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