Good Lovers Come In Many Sizes & Other Truths
By Lucky Bloke. Posted on .
Surprisingly, few condom users are educated about the three different sizes of condoms available: small, medium, and large. This critical information is rarely a component of Sex Ed. Of course, high school students are told that they must wear a condom when having sex (or risk death), and, if lucky, they are shown how to use one on a well-endowed banana. However, the dialogue stops there.
There are no conversations about what a condom should feel like when it is on, or instruction that a new condom must be used for every sex act. (Yes, this means one for foreplay, one for intercourse, and another if the guy has ejaculated, but you are continuing to be intimate.) And these are the issues that circle back to prevalent errors in condom usage as called out in the Kinsey study.
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When a condom is too small for a man at best he feels discomfort and loses his erection, at worst, the condom breaks. (He needs a larger condom.) When a condom is too large for a man at best it slips and slides, at worst leaking occurs or it comes off entirely. (He needs a "standard" condom or he requires a smaller condom.) Whether too big or too small, the man is focused on his discomfort. Both pleasure and safety are severely compromised. National HIV Testing Day: 10 Condoms To Make Safe Sex Fun
Additionally, most of the free condoms distributed through public health make it appear that one-size-fits-all. This couldn't be further from the truth, and in fact increases the stigma regarding penis size. It is estimated that, worldwide, 50% of men have an "average" size penis and require what is known as an "average" or standard condom. With 30% of men, globally, requiring a more tailored or smaller condom.
It is the final minority, 20% of men that actually require a larger condom. Interestingly, due to the media and marketing obsession with the greatly endowed, 80% of the attention is given to 20% of the population. It is both men with "smaller" as well as even "average" sized penises that suffer, which results in a staggering 80% of men who have to deal with this issue each and every day. 11 Surprising Facts About America's Sexual Behavior
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Condom manufacturers need to take the blame too. Trojan has created explosively popular branding with the Magnum franchise. Yet C'mon, only 20% of the men on the planet could even safely wear a Magnum condom. Trojan has set an alarming precedent. They do not even offer a small-sized condom option. Boutique brands have followed suit ignoring 30% of the population entirely. What kind of message does this send to men?
