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whyareyouwearingasuitsir:

Safe Sex Moment: A Condom DO and DON’T

Because I’ll always be a sex educator and I can’t resist real-life teaching moments, I wanted to remind everyone about the first step of condom use: check the package!!

The ones on the left have been living in a pocket, or a car, or someplace that has clearly compromised the package…which means it is likely the latex is compromised as well.  Body heat or extreme temperatures required to break down this packaging so much (the label is literally falling off the foil) would also weaken the latex, and thereby the efficacy of the condom.  

The one on the right has just come out of the box. There is a good bubble of air inside the packet, meaning neither the package nor the condom has been punctured. There is also a clear expiration date, which doesn’t arrive for several more years.

While even a degraded one may be better than none at all, if at all possible DON’T use the old crusty condoms! They are more prone to breakage, which means you are NOT protected from STDs, HIV, pregnancy, etc.