A condom is the most popular method of barrier contraception. And despite the huge amount of social advertising “for safe sex”, there are many people in the world who do not know how and for what purposes different types of condoms are used.
For example, there are condoms without lubrication. What are they needed for? And how reliable are they compared to standard products?
Types of condoms
Condoms are primarily divided by purpose:
- for ordinary sexual intercourse, with a wall thickness of 0.06 mm;
- for anal sex, thickened, 0.1 mm;
- for oral caresses - thinner than usual, often with the taste of strawberries, banana or chocolate;
- medical condoms - without lubrication.
By the type of material: latex, polyurethane and from the intestines of lamb.
By size: manufacturers usually produce a line with three sizes - standard, narrow and wide. But there is a more extended assortment.
By color: any colors of the rainbow, including flesh, black and glowing.
By texture: smooth, perforated (with ribs and pimples), contoured (repeating the anatomical structure of the penis).
According to the lubricant properties, condoms are divided into the following types:
- with a small amount of neutral grease (standard);
- flavored and flavored;
- with spermicide, which kills sperm and reduces the risk of an unplanned pregnancy, even with a break;
- with a warming effect;
- prolonged - for prolonged sexual intercourse, with an anesthetic that reduces sensitivity.
Also, condoms are available with different wall thicknesses: ordinary, thin, to enhance sensations and thick - for braking.
Why do I need condoms without lubrication?
In stores, shelves are filled with a variety of condoms, but they all contain grease. Then which condoms are lubricated-free and where to find them?
They are sold in a pharmacy and have a different purpose. Such products are put on the sensor of the ultrasound device for transvaginal and rectal examinations. Since there is only one sensor, it is necessary to create a barrier between it and each subsequent patient (or patient). That is why they produce such products.
Medical condoms
Condoms for ultrasound (without lubrication) differ from their "counterparts" for intimate affairs. Firstly, they are always made of transparent white latex, without the slightest dye impurities. Secondly, they do not have a drop of silicone grease, since it is incompatible with contact gel, with which ultrasound diagnostics are carried out. Thirdly, the product does not have a drive - a small camera, like on a standard condom. He simply is not needed there.
Usually condoms for ultrasound are available in three different sizes - 18, 28, 34 mm in diameter, for different sensors. Standard product length - 200 mm.
In paid clinics, these products are included in the cost of services, and the administration buys them as consumables - in boxes of 100 and 200 pcs.
In a free clinic, patients are often asked to bring a condom for ultrasound with them.
Medical Condom Reviews
Condoms for transvaginal ultrasound are necessary. Without them, no doctor will conduct a study. This is as much a necessity as the use of disposable gloves and a sterile instrument.
Medical condoms have a high degree of protection, they reliably protect the patient from direct contact with the sensor. However, some consumers are still unhappy that they have to use a condom because of its price. Pharmacies often offer to buy condoms for ultrasound from them individually, at a very high price, and the buyer understands that he is overpaying. And if the purchase price of the product is often 5-10 rubles, then they can be released at 50 rubles.
So, some people take conventional condoms for ultrasound, without perforation and not colored.
Latex and lubricant allergy
Despite the fact that a condom is one of the most reliable means of contraception, which protects both from unwanted pregnancy and from STDs, some refuse to use them. And it is not a loss of sensitivity during intercourse, but allergic reactions to various components.
For example, latex often causes allergies, although this is one of the safest and non-toxic materials. It makes baby nipples, balls, bathing caps, etc. However, this material contains proteins, phospholipids and carbohydrates, to which the body can respond with a strong rejection reaction.
That is why people often make the choice in favor of polyurethane products - although they are more often torn during intercourse, they still help people who are allergic to latex.
However, not only latex can cause such a strong reaction. Potentially hazardous components may also include:
- spermicide lubricant;
- dyes;
- flavorings;
- flavoring additives.
Spermicide nonoxynol 9 is especially dangerous. Therefore, it is better for allergy sufferers to buy condoms without spermicidal lubricant.
Allergic reactions
Hypersensitivity to latex and other components of condoms is manifested in the form of the following symptoms:
- Burning. With an increase in the duration of sexual intercourse, it intensifies and causes great discomfort.
- Irritation. As soon as the effect of allergens on the intimate area reaches a certain threshold value, irritation will appear, and then pain. She will become stronger with each intercourse.
- In women with allergic reactions, vaginal dryness and vulvodynia are often observed.
- Redness and swelling of the intimate area is an occasion for immediate medical attention.
Similar signs indicate that you need to change the type of contraception. Or look for condoms without lubricant or with a minimum content to avoid allergic reactions. Usually, polyurethane products become an alternative. They are thin, always smooth, without flavoring and have a minimum of lubrication.
Lubricated condoms: how reliable are they
Initially, it is worth explaining that all condoms for sex are sold with lubricant. Even oral care products contain a small amount of silicone moisturizer. However, condoms without lubrication can still be bought - as a rule, these are piece products for the same transvaginal ultrasound. They are of little use for intimate affairs, and the point is not even that they are dry. They do not have a drive, which means that at the end of sexual intercourse, the liquid can spread, which will reduce all efficiency to zero.
Nevertheless, condoms without lubrication are often needed on the farm, for non-standard use, for example when hiking, you can protect matches from rain or bring a few liters of water.
It’s very rare to find old condoms on sale - without lubrication, very cheap and possibly expired. Or order products in a foreign store marked Non Lubricated. However, using them without a suitable lubricant is still not recommended.
What type of lubricant can I use with a condom?
Many people know that you can buy a separate lubricant for sex - without a condom. And use it as an additional tool. Why is this needed?
The fact is that some of the products contain a small amount of lubricant, which is not enough for a full-fledged act, especially a long one. Then various sex gels and lubricants will come to the rescue. They come in several forms:
- water-based - inexpensive, safe, but quick-drying, and because of this not always convenient;
- silicone-based - the most common option, used in almost all condoms;
- with spermicide - reduces the risk of an unwanted pregnancy;
- with special properties - reducing sensitivity, enhancing arousal, with a regenerating effect, with different tastes and smells.
Oil-based lubricants are virtually non-existent, since fat-containing components destroy latex. Therefore, you can not use baby cream, massage oil, petroleum jelly and similar substances as a lubricant. Oil-based lubricants can only be used with polyurethane condoms.
The condom label usually indicates which lubricant has been used. Additionally, you need to use something similar, similar in composition.
People often ask if a lubricant - without a condom - can be used as a contraceptive. After all, some sex gels contain spermicide, which kills sperm. So will such an intercourse be safe?
No, spermicidal lubricant does not replace a condom. She, of course, will reduce the likelihood of an unwanted pregnancy, but not so much as to really not worry about her. In addition, it does not protect against STDs at all, so you must use a condom.