Why exactly do girls menstruate? Periods are bleeding which occur every month as a girl hasn’t become pregnant. Within this duration, the lining of her uterus which builds every month in anticipation of implantation of a fertilized egg will be shed.

what is menstruation

All types of transformations are occurring in the body as the womb gets ready for probable pregnancy within your menstrual cycle. The thing which makes everything happen is hormones. You’ll receive hormone surges in the evening, with higher peaks, until your cycle starts.

Increased hormone levels assist eggs in growing inside your ovaries, one of which should become released within a girl’s Fallopian tubes, the process referred to as ovulation. As this egg travels down that tube, en route to your womb, estrogen levels continuously assist the uterine lining in thickening — in the instance an egg becomes fertilized by sperm.

If the timing is perfect, the sperm and egg will attach and the egg will connect with the lining of your uterus and pregnancy starts. Without a fertilized egg, the thick lining possesses no purpose and therefore sheds itself, with the tissue and blood passing through your vagina.

Menstruation Length

A menstrual cycle typically lasts 3-5 days, though a couple of days longer or shorter is still normal. This is what menstruation is.

When Will my Period Begin?

When you initially begin to grow breasts and pubic hair, you usually can jump forward 2 years and estimate that is the time you will begin.

Symptoms

A few girls might experience lower back pain, uncomfortable cramps in their lower abdomen, breast tenderness, and mood irritability shortly before the onset of their initial period.

How to Handle Menstrual Cramps

Cramps could occur as the uterus contracts to aid the flow of the sloughed-off lining in moving out. Not every girl has them, yet if you do, there includes numerous methods of lessening the pain.

The ideal remedies for cramps, as there’s no underlying clinical problem like endometriosis or an infection, include anti-inflammatory, non-steroidal medicines.

Heating pads also can be extremely efficient. If the pain from the cramps isn’t controlled using these measures or interrupts your life for several days every month, contacting your physician will help. She or he could provide prescription choices, like birth control pills or stronger pain medicines to help with your menstruation.

Side Effects

symptoms of pms

You might’ve heard that women and girls can become weepy, grouchy, and moody surrounding the duration of their cycles. The hormonal changes while menstruating change you emotionally and physically.

PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) could take on various psychological symptoms, like unhappiness and mood irritability, and physical symptoms, like constipation, breast tenderness, and bloating. PMS remedies involve hormonal treatment like birth control pills, as well as treatments using medicines referred to as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The over-the-counter supplements, like vitamin B6, vitamin E, and calcium are also efficient. Following a healthy lifestyle with enough sleep, reduced caffeine, and reduced salt intake is a great idea, too.

Disposable Sanitary Pads

what is a period

There includes various sanitary pads that are disposable to select from within different absorbencies and thicknesses. You could buy them without or with wings which fold over to avoid leaking.

Tampons

Tampons include cotton tubes that have a string attached to one end that’s inserted inside the vagina to absorb blood. They’ll come without and with applicators, and those applicators are made of cardboard or plastic.

Tampons usually come in super, regular and light thickness. Oftentimes girls begin with slender or light tampons, yet the size selected depends on how heavy the flow is. Tampons must be changed every 4-8 to hours.

what is a tampon

If inserting tampons initially seems a bit daunting, talk with your sister, mom, or a trusted friend concerning how you should do it or:

Watch this video on how to properly insert a tampon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjMBZ0AO99I&feature=related

Frequently Asked Questions about Your Period

how to use a tampon

Can I bathe with tampons?

Yes, due to the vagina preventing the ingress of water, the tampon helps to avoid this.

Could I use tampons if I’m a virgin or will I break my hymen?

Yes you can use if you’re a virgin. No, you will not break the hymen.

Can I sleep with tampons in?

You can insert one prior to going to bed, and as you wake up, change it.

Can I swim with tampons in?

Yes.

Condoms from sheepskin are the second oldest type of known contraceptive. They are still sold today. The condoms are available online, in some drug stores and at specialty shops. Lambskin or sheepskin condoms are often chosen for the particular feel they provide the users of them with. They are often cited as giving a more sensitive and natural feel. However, they do not provide good protection against sexually transmitted diseases. They have small pores in their surface that are generally too small for sperm to pass through which is why they have been used as a contraceptive. However, they may not be as effective as a polyurethane of latex condom.

The first condoms that were used were made of linen until the Romans came along and began using the lambskin/sheepskin condoms. The condoms is actually made of the intestinal lining of a sheep and closed off at one end. Sexually transmitted diseases were common and it was determined quickly that these type of condoms did not prevent against infection as the pores are large enough for diseases to pass through.

Examination with microscopes has shown that the pores will even allow HIV, the precursor to AIDS, through them. Many people have an allergy to latex or polyurethane condoms and therefore choose natural lamb condoms as an alternative measure to limit the probability of pregnancy. Although latex condoms are not perfect contraceptives, lambskin are more probable to fail than synthetic condoms are.

Due to their pores, heat passes through the natural lamb condoms more readily than it would with a synthetic. Latex condoms do not allow for certain lubricants to be used because they will actually dissolve the condom and render it ineffective. Sheepskin condoms and other natural condoms, however, are capable of use with many oil type lubricants.

Another issue concerning pregnancy prevention is that many lambskin condoms do not have a spermicide already on them.  Many condoms such as trojan condoms varieties come with them.  A popular spermicide is N-9 or nonoxynol number nine.

Trojan Condoms does have a brand called Trojan Naturalamb Condoms that are made of lamb intestine. Always read the labels on condoms to determine if they have a spermicide and to see if they have expired or not before use.

Similar to a synthetic condom, a lambskin condom may be found in different sizes, shapes, lengths and textures.  Natural condoms are often 100% biodegradable but there are morality issues of animal rights.

When choosing a condom the lambskin may provide the best experience while lowering the chances of pregnancy upon ejaculation. However, it is most important to recognize that they will not inhibit against sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and herpes.

Condoms, in one form or another and made of various different materials, have been in use since ancient times (by the Romans, the Egyptians and the Chinese). The rubber condom, however, dates back to the middle of the nineteenth century when the process of rubber vulcanization, which makes rubber elastic, was discovered. The first effective rubber condom was manufactured in 1855. Since rubber condoms were more reliable and less expensive to manufacture than the old condoms made of crepe rubber and sulphur, condom manufacturers began to produce them in large numbers.

Soon after that, the development of a new condom manufacturing process based on liquid latex and known as “dipping” produced the seamless modern-day latex condoms we use today. Apart from a few innovations in shape, size, texture and color, today’s condoms are basically the same as those produced early in the 20^th century.

The DUREX Condom

In 1915, a man named L.A. Jackson founded the London Rubber Company (LRC) in the U.K. to sell imported (mainly from Germany) condoms and other health care supplies. The LRC registered the DUREX trademark (derived from the words DUrability, Reliability and EXcellence) in 1929.

DUREX condoms manufactured by LRC in the 1930s used the new liquid latex dipping manufacturing technique. In 1950, LRC was registered as a public company and began the first fully automatic production of condoms in 1951. By 1953, LRC engineers had devised a way to simplify the quality testing of DUREX condoms. They introduced electronic testing as part of the condom production process.

The DUREX brand was behind many of the modern innovations introduced into condom manufacturing and production:

• The first lubricated DUREX condom was produced in 1957
• LRC (DUREX) manufactured the world’s first anatomically shaped condom in 1969
• The first DUREX spermicidally lubricated condom was produced in 1974
• The world’s first male non-latex condom was the DUREX Avanti (made out of odorless polyurethane)

Condom use (which had dropped somewhat with the ‘sexual revolution’ of the 1960s and 1970s) began to increase rapidly with the growing public awareness of the danger of HIV/ AIDS. As the demand for condoms as a form of protection against disease and unplanned pregnancies increased, condoms became more and more widely available.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, DUREX introduced innovative condoms to the market, and the DUREX range now includes at least nine different varieties of latex condoms and the polyurethane Avanti condom.

Since 1999, the DUREX brand has been owned by the UK based multinational, SSL International (SSL), which was formed through a merger of Seton Scholl Healthcare and the London International Group (the name adopted by the London Rubber company in 1986).

DUREX now manufactures around one billion condoms per year in 17 different factories worldwide. DUREX condoms are sold in over 150 countries, and the brand is the market leader in condoms in more than 40 countries and represents about a quarter of the global market for condoms.

Almost 80 years after the first DUREX condom was manufactured, DUREX has become the most popular condom brand in the UK and the number one brand condom worldwide.

The First Trimester of Pregnancy

The first trimester of pregnancy begins with conception (the moment when the sperm and egg cell unite in one of the two fallopian tubes) and ends after the twelfth week of pregnancy. During this phase of pregnancy, alterations in hormonal levels bring about many changes in the mother’s body. As a mother’s body grows and changes to accommodate the growing fetus, first trimester pregnancy symptoms develop. This is a period of discomfort for many pregnant women. Some of the more common symptoms caused by hormonal changes during the early weeks of pregnancy are nausea (although it is known as ‘morning’ sickness, this can occur anytime of the day), vomiting, increased fatigue, dizziness, indigestion, swollen and tender breasts, a frequent urge to urinate and emotional mood swings. Some women also develop varicose veins, excessive weight gain, or leg cramps (due to low calcium levels). Food cravings may also be experienced at this stage of pregnancy. If you are a woman, you will have instantly recognized the fact that many of these symptoms are the same as you would experience during and before your period. Just like PMS, first trimester pregnancy symptoms, and their intensity, vary greatly from one mother to another.

It is important for expectant mothers to be aware that the first 12 weeks of pregnancy present the greatest threat of miscarriage. Symptoms such as spotting, bleeding or stomach cramps should send you straight to your doctor’s office. There are many reasons for miscarriage during the first trimester. The most common cause is an abnormality of the baby’s chromosomes. Some other causes can be hormonal problems, infections, lifestyle (smoking, drug use, malnutrition …), maternal age, and trauma.

The Second Trimester of Pregnancy

This three-month period, starting from the 13^th week of pregnancy to the 26^th week, is the easiest and most comfortable stage of pregnancy. If there is a time when a pregnant mother “glows”, this is it! You have avoided the danger of miscarriage, and now is the time to seize the opportunity to enjoy being pregnant! Initial nausea and fatigue usually disappear; energy levels rise and most women regain their normal sex drive too. Your breasts will continue to grow larger and will start secreting colostrum (milk). Your heart too increases in size since it must now pump more blood. Some women will have problems with constipation, gas, or bleeding gums. All women at this stage will no longer be able to sleep on their bellies, and sleeping on their backs may be uncomfortable because of fetus pressure. For most mothers-to-be, the best open to sleep on their sides, with pillows behind their backs. Since the fetus is pressing on your back ligaments, backaches are common at this stage of pregnancy. Another common problem during the second stage of pregnancy is gestational diabetes, and it’s important to undergo regular urine testing to check this.

Keep in mind that after the 20^th week of pregnancy your baby will have a good chance of survival (with intensive medical care) should it be born prematurely. Watch out for premature labor signs like spotting, bleeding or contractions.

The Third, and Final, Trimester of Pregnancy

Since the baby grows a lot during these last weeks of pregnancy, the mother also experiences many bodily changes. These include swelling of the hands and feet (especially during the seventh month), shortness of breath, increased indigestion and heartburn, trouble falling asleep (particularly in the eighth month), leg cramps resulting from the baby’s growing demand for calcium, minerals and vitamins and exhaustion. Your baby now weighs about four pounds. Take deep breaths to increase his / her oxygen supply, rest as much as you can and avoid carrying heavy objects. In the final month of pregnancy, the baby’s head will drop in the pelvic area, to get ready for delivery. You may experience contractions, but don’t worry. These are “practice contractions”, also known by the name of the British physician who first described them – “Braxton Hicks contractions”. They are not real labor contractions. Don’t forget to attend your childbirth classes!

The Baby in All This?

• The Germinal Stage: begins with conception, when the sperm fertilizes the egg cell in one of the mother’s two fallopian tubes. The fertilized egg then travels toward the uterus, and this can take up to a week. About 24 to 36 hours after conception, cell division begins, creating a mass of cells. Once these arrive at the uterus, they attach themselves to the uterine wall (implantation).

• The Embryonic Stage: Following implantation, the mass of cells is known as an ‘embryo’. During the embryonic stage, the umbilical cord and the placenta begin to develop, and the basic outlines of the baby’s organs, body parts and nervous system are established. By the end of this stage (about the sixth week of pregnancy), the beginnings of features (fingers, eyes, mouth, and ears) become visible. The embryo is about one inch long at this stage, and has a heartbeat.

• The Fetal Stage: The embryonic stage ends when most of the ‘cell differentiation’ has occurred, and the embryo becomes a fetus. The features and organs established continue to grow, the baby’s brain, nervous system and spinal cord develop, and by the third month of pregnancy, the baby’s sex organs begin to form. In the course of the first stage of pregnancy, the baby develops from two tiny, separate cells into a three-inch long fetus with most of its organs and features established and functioning.

• Fetus Growth in the Second Trimester of Pregnancy: The baby continues to grow, its heartbeat is stronger, it has developed scalp and fine body hair, its facial features are more defined and, since its facial muscles are formed, it can smile – or frown. About halfway through the second trimester of pregnancy, it is usually possible to determine the sex of the baby through ultrasound. The baby is more active, and you can feel it play and kick.

• Fetus Growth in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy: By the thirtieth week of pregnancy, the fetus weighs about three pounds. In the thirty-second week, its movement diminishes due to its growing size and the cramped space in the womb. All the five senses develop at this stage of growth, and by the thirty-fifth week, a fetus can hear high-pitched voices and sounds. In the thirty-sixth week of pregnancy, the baby weighs about six pounds and is 18 inches long. It may drop down into the birth canal. The baby’s lungs are fully developed by the 39^th week of pregnancy, and it reaches its full weight and length as it enters into the fortieth and final week of pregnancy.

Labor and Delivery

• Labor: The first stage of labor occurs when the cervix dilates, allowing the baby to move into the birth canal. This is the longest stage of labor. Contractions are mild during early labor as your cervix dilates to about 3 cm. As your cervix continues to dilate to nearly 7 cm, your contractions will become stronger and last longer. The shortest and most difficult phase of labor is the last phase, when your cervix dilates from 7 centimeters to 10 centimeters and your contractions become stronger and more frequent. Contractions help to push the baby down the birth canal.

• Delivery of the Baby: Once the baby’s head is delivered, his or her airway will be cleared and the midwife or doctor will ensure that the umbilical cord is free. The rest of the baby’s body will follow shortly.

• Delivery of the Placenta: This is the final phase of labor and delivery. The doctor / midwife must deliver the placenta and make sure the mother’s bleeding is under control. The placenta is examined to make sure it is intact. Any remaining fragments must be removed from the uterus to prevent bleeding and infection.

Each of the stages of pregnancy brings changes to your body and to the developing baby you carry in your womb. Understanding these changes and knowing what to expect in the course of your pregnancy can make the forty weeks you will be living as an expectant mother much more enjoyable.

Until a woman is pregnant she may want to understand what is menstruation.

Throughout the ages and across most cultures, the human penis has been a symbol of male power and virility. In varying degrees, penis size has been a subject of concern for men in most parts of the world.

Average Penis Size

Although scientific attempts aimed at determining average penis size have been underway for over 60 years, measuring the average penis size is not a simple process. It is complicated by several factors: What to measure (length, girth or both); how to measure; when to measure (erect, flaccid or stretched penis); the degree to which a study sample is representative (who is measured, what age, what race, what medical condition…); and who does the measuring. Self-reported measurements are usually bigger than measurements taken by others, reflecting the subjects’ wishes for bigger sized penises.

Nevertheless, it is possible to determine an average range of penis sizes. A worldwide study of several penis size research projects undertaken over the last half century and involving over 11,000 participant states that the average erect size of the adult penis is between 5.5 and 6.2 inches in length and 4.7 inches and 5.1 inches in circumference.

Even in determining ranges, however, different studies provide different results. Three studies of penis size (measured in laboratory settings) provide the following indications:

• Average length of flaccid penis is between 3.4 inches and 3.7 inches (8.6 cm and 9.3 cm)
• Average length of erect penis is between 5.1 inches and 5.7 inches (12.9 cm and 14.5 cm)
• Average circumference of an erect penis is between 3.5 inches and 3.9 inches (8.8 cm and 10.0 cm)*

In an article entitled, “The Inexact Science of Penis Measurement”, Kent Sepkowitz, a physician, writes that when self-measured, the average length of a stretched flaccid penis is 5.1 inches, for an erect penis, it’s somewhere between 5.5 and 6 inches, and for a flaccid penis the range of average penis size is between 3.5 inches and 4 inches.* One of the earliest penis size studies, conducted by Alfred Kinsey in the 1950s and 1960s, also based on self-reported measurements, gave the average length of an erect penis at about 6.25 inches.

In conclusion, there is no one definite average penis size. Perhaps the best way to arrive at a correct figure would be to take the average of all the averages determined by various studies. See the penis size graph a few paragraphs down.  Nevertheless, it is safe to say that a penis that is less than 5 inches long when erect is smaller than average, and one that measures over 6.5 inches is bigger than average.

Below are two penis size charts showing average penis size and they can be used to determine trojan condom sizes:

http://www.male-impotence-penis-enlargement.com/penis-size.htm

Penis Size Chart

Naturally, penis size, like any the size of any other body organ, changes with age. The penis size chart below gives average penis size by age:

Penis Size in Different Cultures

The very fact that so much effort has – and continues to be – devoted to measuring average penis size shows that it is a matter of great concern. Just as with other parts of the body, different men have different penis sizes. Unlike other parts of the body, however, this fact is deeply disturbing to most men. It really matters to them whether their penis is smaller than most or larger – and everyone wants to be at least average in size. The reason, of course, is that men define themselves in terms of their virility and power. The penis is a symbol of virility. In a wide variety of cultures across the world, penis size is perceived as an index of virility and power.

Historically, the phallus was at the center of many ancient cultures. The ancient Greeks and Romans decorated their every day artifacts with pictures of penises. A famous Roman fresco in the Pompeii ruins shows a rich man using his enormous penis to counterbalance bags of money on a scale, and giant stone penises dating back to the 3^rd century B.C. are scattered around the Temple of Dionysus on the Greek island of Delos. In fact, different types of phallic imagery can be found in the artistic traditions of most cultures, worldwide. The walls of Hindu temples in India are adorned with explicit erotic scenes where representations of the penis are prevalent, a study conducted on the cultural history of the penis in medieval Iceland* concluded that penis size defined men’s social status at the time, and soldiers of the Ottoman Empire supposedly publicly posted the measurements of their penises for their enemies to admire. The significance of the penis in all cultural traditions is undeniable. Everywhere, it was and still is the symbol of procreation (man’s creative power), fertility and love.

The degree of preoccupation with penis size varies slightly from culture to culture – but it’s there in most cultures. The uninhibited expression of these concerns did not of course continue through the ages. Religion (especially the three monotheist religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam) soon put a stop to that. Today, there are apparently two reasons why men care about penis size. One is the inherent competitiveness of men. A man actually feels superior to another man if he knows, or believes, his penis to be bigger. The more competitive a society is, the more men will be obsessed with this issue. The second reason is the belief that a penis’ size affects a man’s sexual performance and his attractiveness to women.

While this seems to be true everywhere, it has recently attained much more significance in western cultures than elsewhere. Nowhere else is body image as important as it is today in the West. The media in the West plays an important role is promoting this concern, and men with big penises are depicted as being successful and happy, while smaller men are either pitiful or comic. The pornographic film industry is one case in point. Men in the West are apparently becoming as obsessed with penis size as are western women with issues such as weight. The difference is that they don’t admit it openly – out of embarrassment, and also for fear of discovering that they are smaller than average.

More and more men in the U.S. are seeking to augment their penis size through surgical and other means. While traditional practices aimed at increasing penile size exist in many cultures, from Uganda to India, penis size has never been so utterly equated with health, happiness and sexual attractiveness as it is in modern-day Western society.

This is actually a relatively recent development. There is a kind of dichotomy in the western perception of penis size. As is the case everywhere, large penises are viewed as symbols of male potency, but at the same time, they are regarded – in the West – with a degree of revulsion. As early as the days of Aristotle, large penises were thought to represent a sort of bestiality and to contradict the ideals of western civilization. To the ancient Greeks, long, thick penises were associated with ‘barbarians”.* You only need to look at the particularly modest-sized penises on ancient Greek statues of nude males to realize this. For centuries, western males (firmly believing that blacks have bigger penises) viewed black men as wild, sex-obsessed creatures. In the U.S., the belief that, “African Americans with their allegedly big penises are hypersexual, Asian Americans with their allegedly small penises are undersexed, and whites by some happy coincidence occupy the invisible norm—they seem to have just the right amount whereby blacks have too much and Asians not enough.”* used to be widespread. There is no room in this article to discuss race and penis size, but this dichotomy or double standard has only added to the sexual anxiety of the western male.

Penis Size Concerns by Age

Men’s concerns about genital size normally date back to their childhood, when they first begin to compare penis size with friends. At puberty, this concern can easily turn into anxiety, as it is often at this time that boys begin to look at erotic magazines or films – and the huge penises portrayed there. By the time boys have attained adolescence, they are usually obsessed with the size of their penises, wondering whether they are big enough to attract and satisfy the opposite sex. It is at this age that men are most concerned about penis size.

Perhaps thankfully, this problem is not as pronounced in non-western cultures where the practice of dating isn’t widespread, and where boys (and girls) do not have to worry at such an early age about their body image and whether their penises are big enough, or their breasts attractive enough.

Condoms and Penis Size

Because latex and polyurethane are such expandable materials, and because penis size doesn’t vary very widely, most condom brands don’t have a wide selection of sizes. There are three basic condom sizes, and the difference is in the circumference rather than the length. The standard condom circumference is just under 4 inches (98 to 106 mm), and 180 mm long (about 7 inches). For most men condom length should not be an issue since condoms stretch lengthwise without breaking, but 8-inch long condoms are available for exceptionally large men. Condoms that are too long don’t normally slip off, but condoms that are too wide may. Likewise, condoms that are not wide enough may break.

Trojan Condom sizes can be determined with this table.  The chart below provides some common measurements for different size condoms:

The basic guidelines to follow for choosing the right size condom are:

• If average size condoms slip off during intercourse, you need to buy a narrower size.
• If average size condoms feel too tight, choose a larger size and avoid the risk of breakage.
• If average size condoms feel too tight in the head (or too short), select a condom with more headroom.

The penis size graph below shows average condom lengths and widths and average penis lengths and widths. It was compiled from a number of independent tests undertaken in different countries*:

trojan condom sizes

In all cultures, no body part is more symbolic of masculinity than the penis. In most cultures, penis size is a matter of concern for some men, and most men are happier believing that their penises are not smaller than average. However, Western society has recently placed a new emphasis on body image and the importance it plays in life as whole, an emphasis that, happily, has not yet spread to the rest of the world. Unfortunately for western men, penis size is more and more being included in this ll-important package known as ‘body image’.

MATERIAL

All Trojan brand condoms are made of latex with the exception of the TROJAN Supra® condom, which is made of ultra-thin medical grade polyurethane, and the TROJAN Naturalamb Skin condom made of a natural membrane. Both of these are suitable for people with latex allergies, but the TROJAN Naturalamb Skin condom does not provide protection against STDs because of the size of the pores in the natural skin they are made of. Both these varieties enhance sexual pleasure since they are designed to transmit body heat. The TROJAN Naturalamb Skin condom is wider and longer than most condoms, and is lubricated. Since it is not made of latex, the TROJAN Supra® can be used with both oil-based and water-based lubricants.

FIT

Trojan condoms come in three sizes: Regular; Large and Extra large. Trojan offers several varieties of large (magnum-sized) condoms: the MAGNUM®, the MAGNUM® Twister, the MAGNUM® Warming Sensation, the Trojan NaturaLamb and the MAGNUM® Thin condoms (the thinnest magnum condom available). There is only one variety of extra large condoms, the MAGNUM® XL Latex Condom, which is 30% larger than standard condoms.

DESIGN

• Standard designs include seven varieties: the Trojan-ENZ® Lubricated (‘jelly-like’ water-based lubricant); the Trojan-ENZ® Spermicidal Lubricated (Nonoxynol-9 spermicide, for protection against pregnancy); Trojan® Non-Lubricated; TROJAN® Extended Pleasure™ (lubricant with special additive to help prevent premature ejaculation and provide greater staying power); the TROJAN® Ultra Thin Latex Condom (over 25% thinner than standard condoms); TROJAN® THINTENSITY® (over 25% thinner than standard condoms, slightly longer and slightly larger at the closed end, ultra smooth lubricant and the TROJAN® Ultra Thin Spermicidal Lubricant Condom
• Extra Sensitive designs include six varieties: the TROJAN® Very Sensitive (uniquely shaped to enhance stimulation and sensitivity, lubricated); the MAGNUM® Thin condoms; the TROJAN® Ultra Thin Latex Condom; the TROJAN Supra®; the TROJAN® THINTENSITY®; and the TROJAN® Ultra Thin Spermicidal Lubricant Condom
• Mutual Stimulation designs include nine varieties: the TROJAN® Her Pleasure™ condom (unique texturing provides extra sensation for a woman, warming lubrication that is activated by natural body moisture); the TROJAN® Twisted Pleasure™ condom (designed with a twist at the closed end to help stimulate both partners, lubricated); the TROJAN® Ultra Pleasure condom (lubricated); the MAGNUM® Twister; the TROJAN® Ultra Pleasure® Spermicidal lubricant condom; the TROJAN® Her Pleasure™ (ribbed and contoured, lubricated); the TROJAN® Shared Pleasure™ condom (warming lubrication); the TROJAN® Her Pleasure™ condom (spermicidal lubricant)
• Roomier designs include larger sized condoms of different varieties.
• Textured designs: include the TROJAN® Her Pleasure™ condom (regular lubrication, with spermicidal lubrication or warming lubrication); TROJAN® Intense Ribbed® (comfortable shape and deep ribs at base and tip, lubricated); the TROJAN® Ultra Ribbed condom (deeper ribs, lubricated, also available with spermicidal lubricant); the TROJAN® Her Pleasure (spermicidal and regular lubricant)
• Warm Sensations designs include: the MAGNUM® Warming Sensation; and the TROJAN Supra® polyurethane condom.

Trojan condoms also come in several flavors: Mint Tingle, Sparkling Vanilla Gold, Tantalizing Tutti-Frutti, Rich Dark Chocolate and Sumptuous Strawberry.

All Trojan ultra thin condom varieties have an average thinness of about 00.20 of an inch, to increase sensitivity and make users feel the contraceptive device as little as possible. Trojan condoms, like all condoms, have a shelf life of about five years – though condoms with spermicidal lubricants have a three-year expiration date, but it’s the spermicides that are only effective for 3 years, not the condom itself.

General Condom Shapes

Reservoir Tip Condoms
These are regular condoms. The reservoir tip acts as a trap to collect semen.

Non-Reservoir Tip Condoms
These condoms feature a straight wall design without a reservoir tip. These are mostly used in the healthcare industry and for oral sex.

Form-Fitted Condoms
These condoms provide a better fit and more comfort.

Studded Condoms
These condoms have raised bumps for added sensation.

Ribbed Condoms
These condoms have raised lines on the shaft. These lines help in stimulation the vagina for added sensation.

Special Shaped Condoms
These condoms feature a “Baggy” pouch on the head. Condoms like the Twisted Pleasure use this pouch for extra stimulation. The extra headroom for him makes it less restrictive and better feeling. The excess “Bagginess” will hit upon her most sensitive regions to help in creating extra sensation.

The manufacture of condoms as we now know them began in earnest when Charles Goodyear and Thomas Hancock discovered the vulcanization of rubber in 1839. Rubber vulcanization is the process of transforming rubber into a strong elastic material, and it made the manufacture of rubber products, including condoms, faster and cheaper. The production, in 1919, of latex condoms (thinner than rubber ones and odorless) was another revolutionary change in condom manufacture. Condom sales increased dramatically in the U.S. in the mid 1930’s. As other contraceptive methods (the Pill, IUDs …) gained in popularity in the early 1960s, there was a decline in condom use.

The decline in condom use was short-lived. With the rise of HIV/AIDS more people switched condoms. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, condoms became more widely available, more socially acceptable and more strongly encouraged. In 1994, the polyurethane condom appeared on the U.S. market, extending condom use to men and women with latex allergies or sensitivities. Today condoms come in many different sizes (widths, thicknesses and lengths), colors and flavors. You can easily buy lubricated condoms, non-lubricated condoms and condoms with spermicide. Leading manufacturers, such as Trojan Condoms, no longer design condoms solely with effective birth control and STD protection in mind, but also as a means of promoting sexual pleasure.

The condom may be the oldest contraceptive device still in use today, but humankind has known about contraception in general since ancient times. Early Islamic texts, ancient Jewish sources and sacred Hindu scriptures all refer to various herbal concoctions that claimed to induce temporary sterility. From crocodile dung to lactic acid (made out of a mixture of dates, bark and honey), contraceptive remedies and inventions abound throughout history.

The world’s major religions all have a common stance when it comes to the issue of birth control. They stand unified in their opposition to promoting the widespread availability of contraceptive devices such as condoms because they believe this will encourage immorality and illicit sex. No religious tradition supports the use of contraceptives to make it easier to engage in extra-marital sex by avoiding pregnancy and preventing STDs.

Having said that, it’s important to note that religions have varying points of views regarding different contraceptive methods. Within each of the major religions, followers, religious leaders and scholars espouse different viewpoints on the issue of contraception – but no one, in any religion, officially and publicly condones birth control as a facilitator of ‘illicit’ sex.

Major world religions’ views on contraception and condom use:

The Roman Catholic Church’s position is that the purpose of sex is to procreate. Hindering reproduction is to encourage sinful sex. This goes for married people too (no one else is supposed to be having sex anyway). The only birth control techniques sanctioned by the Church are abstinence and Natural Family Planning (NFP). Catholics believe that unnatural forms of contraception such as condoms encourage casual sex, which is a sin.

• The positions of Protestant Christianity on condom use depends on the denomination, although recently there is a trend among conservative Christians in the U.S. to oppose contraception.
• The Orthodox Christian Church allows married couples to make their own decisions regarding contraception use.
• Judaism: Birth control views vary among Orthodox, Conservative and Reform branches of Judaism. The Orthodox view is that Jewish Talmudic literature prohibits the use of male contraceptive devices that “waste the male seed”, but that female contraception may be permitted for health reasons. Conservative and Reform views authorize social, economic and environmental reasons for contraception use, and note that sexual pleasure between married couples is not a sin. Most Jews believe that condoms and other barrier methods of contraception as well as ‘withdrawal’ are not permissible because they spill the male seed. Male and female sterilization are also not allowed.
• Islam does not place many restrictions on contraception, and non-permanent contraceptive methods such as condoms are the preferred contraceptive device because their effect is likened to the ‘withdrawal method’ that is mentioned in Islamic texts. All contraceptive devices seem to be permissible as long as they do not kill the embryo (so IUDs are controversial) or affect the woman’s health. Surgical sterilization is only permissible if medically necessary. The sexual pleasure factor is recognized, (but only between married couples, naturally), and marriage is not equated with conception. A man may not use the withdrawal method of contraception unless his wife agrees because it interrupts her pleasure, for example. Contraception is supported for economic reasons, to space childbearing, to prevent the spread of STDs and for the natural well-being of the family.
• Hinduism: As an ancient religion, Hinduism too encourages prolific procreation within marriage – but birth control is not prohibited by the religion. Although views on contraception vary widely among Hindu scholars, there seems to be a consensus that although fertility is important, conceiving more children than one can support is wrong. Many Hindus believe that it is important to have a son, and contraception is usually not practiced until after a son is born. Since India has an over-population problem, abortion was legalized in 1971 and it is the first nation to establish a government population policy based on contraception. Hinduism has never opposed the use of the condom both as a contraceptive method and to prevent the spread of STDs.
• Buddhism: Buddhists believe that a soul can reach Nirvana only after it becomes human. Limiting the number of humans (contraception), automatically reduces the number achieving Nirvana. Since most Buddhists believe that conception occurs when the egg is fertilized, contraceptive methods that prevent fertilization such as condoms are more acceptable than other methods.
• Sikhism: Sikhs support sensible family planning, and married couples are free to decide on the number of children they want. There are no religious prohibitions against contraception, but, again, it may not be used to facilitate illicit sexual relationships.
• Taoism and Confucianism: Family planning has been a part of both these religions for thousands of years. In modern day China, of course, family planning is forced (Article 25 of the 1982 Chinese Constitution stipulates that the State should promote family planning).

To sum up, although most religions originally promoted fertility because they date back to a time when fertility could mean the difference between survival and death of a community, there is little or no condemnation of using contraceptive methods (particularly barrier methods like the condom) in most religions.

All religions, however, are against the use of condoms and contraception outside the context of marriage. STDs not withstanding, HIV/AIDS or not – religions will not promote condom use for unmarried couples because this is perceived as condoning illicit sexual behavior. Muslims may have the most options for religiously acceptable contraceptive methods, but Islam’s stance on condom use outside of marriage is non-negotiable – even for preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS.

From the standpoint of most religions, and socially and culturally as well, it seems that the importance of preventing (or at least not condoning) ‘immoral’ sexual behavior like extramarital sex and homosexuality is more important than preventing the spread of disease and limiting the number of unintended pregnancies.

In many ‘developing countries’, over-population is a critical problem and governments have for decades been promoting contraception; distributing free birth control pills, free condoms, fitting women with IUDs free of charge etc. – but in the vast majority of these countries, such services are only available to married men and women.

If you are fortunate enough to be living in a country where you have free access to condoms whether or not you are married, then it is your responsibility to use them. You can’t logically use your religion as an excuse for unintentional pregnancies and contracting STDs because if your religion condemns birth control, then it also condemns premarital sex, adultery, multiple sex partners and homosexuality. Most religions do.

]]> http://www.trojancondoms.org/index.php/religions-of-the-world-and-condom-contraception-use/feed/ 0 http://www.trojancondoms.org/index.php/youth-and-condom-use/ http://www.trojancondoms.org/index.php/youth-and-condom-use/#comments Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:21:16 +0000 admin http://www.trojancondoms.org/?p=62 The average age of first sexual intercourse in the U.S. is about 17.5 years old, with young men typically having their first sexual experience at a younger age than young women do. Although the pregnancy rate among adolescents has declined steadily since the early 1990s, it remains a major public health problem and teen pregnancy and birth rates are among the highest in ‘developed countries’. The pregnancy rates among 15 to 19 year old American girls dropped by about 30% between 1990 and 2002. Nevertheless, approximately one million American teenagers continue to get pregnant every year (three quarters of these pregnancies are unintended). The teen abortion and birth rates have also declined significantly since the early 1990s (26% decline for birth rates).

The drop in pregnancy and abortion rates can be attributed to declines in sexual activity, and an increased use of condoms and hormonal contraceptives. The rate of STD infection among adolescents remains shockingly high, however. Between three and four million adolescents in the U.S. contract a sexually transmitted disease each year, and an estimated one-half of all newly contracted HIV infections occur among young people under 25, most through sexual practices. About 40% of HIV/AIDS cases contracted by adolescents in 2002 were contracted through heterosexual contact and 5% through drug injection.

Although statistics vary according to source and type of study, the trend is clear. Fewer young girls are getting pregnant, so there are less teenage abortions and teenage births. Still, the rates for unwanted teenage pregnancies, teenage abortions and teenage births remain among the highest in the West. Of even greater concern is the fact that the percentage of sexually active young people who are contracting STDs every year continues to be unacceptably high.

There has been an increase in condom use among young people. According to one study, nearly all 15 to 19 year olds who report having had sex also reported having used at least one method of birth control. The most common methods used were condoms (94%) and birth control pills (61%). Among 9^th to 12^th grade students, condom use increased from 53% in 1993 to 63% in 2003. Although both the increase in contraception use and the decline in sexual activity explain the drop in teenage pregnancies and abortions, recent studies indicate that only about 14% of this decline is due to teens’ increased abstinence from sex.

Factors Affecting Choice of Birth Control Methods

The three most common factors affecting a teenager’s choice of contraceptive method are:

• Effectiveness in protection against HIV/AIDS and other STDs (98%)
• Effectiveness in prevention of pregnancy (94%)
• The side effects it may have (93%)

Condom Use

Recent studies (2005) report that 70% of women and 69% of men aged 15 – 19 reported using condoms at first sex, and 63% reported using a condom during most recent sex – a significant increase from the 46% reported in 1993. Some factors associated with condom use among young people in the U.S. are:

• Positive beliefs about condoms (believing that they don’t reduce sexual pleasure)
• Believing in the effectiveness of condoms
• Perceiving that their peers approve of condom use
• Feeling confident that they know how to use a condom correctly, and how to broach the subject with their partner
• Not using drugs or alcohol during sexual activity
• The type of relationship (teenagers use condoms more often in casual relationships than in long-term ones)

Condoms are sold openly in the U.S., and there is no age restriction on their purchase. Admittedly, it can be daunting for young people to walk into a local drugstore or supermarket to buy a package of condoms – and in some cases they may be refused service by clerks. While some teenagers ask their parents to procure condoms for them, for other young people this option can be even more intimidating. The easiest, least ‘embarrassing’ option for a young person is to purchase condoms online. One of the advantages of doing so is that he (or she) can browse through a website and choose a condom, without feeling self-conscious or pressured. Condoms are often cheaper online too. In some parts of the country condoms may be obtained free of charge at clinics or health centers.

Most American teenagers may the necessary knowledge about contraception and condom use. Nevertheless, the high instance of STDs and the high (though declining) teenage pregnancy and abortion rates among young people are due to an obvious gap between the sexual knowledge teenagers have, and their actual sexual practices. Some of the reasons why teenagers don’t use condoms are:

• Boys believe condoms can reduce sexual pleasure
• Girls sometimes believe that having sex without condoms will endear them to their partners, prove that they trust them
• Some young people think not using condoms is a sign that the relationship is a ‘more serious’, adult one
• Not planning ahead
• Some young people will decide that their partner ‘looks clean’
• For many girls with self-esteem problems, it’s a way to get the love they don’t have
• Young girls have reported that if their boy-friend should propose condom use they would feel ‘insulted’ – and boys are afraid their girlfriends will be insulted

Teenagers who are having unprotected sex are ignoring what they should be doing. Parents and primary care-takers must educate their children on the meanings of relationships, love and sexual health.

1. Verify that the condom has not expired and if it has get a new one.
2. Safely open the package. Ensure that you do not open the Trojan condom and damage it with a pair of scissors or with your teeth.
   
3. Uncircumcised people should pull back the foreskin before putting the condom on.
4. Without unrolling the condom, put it over the base of the penis.
5. Pinch the reservoir of the condom to get the air out before unrolling it. This will limit the likelihood it breaks upon ejaculation.
   
6. Most condoms roll on the penis only one way. Make sure the reservoir tip (the top hat part) is facing away from you when you put it on the tip of the penis.
7. Hold one hand on the reservoir at the tip of the penis and the other to unroll it down the length of the penis to the base.
   
8. Add water based lubricant to the outside of the condom to increase sensitivity and decrease the likelihood the Trojan condom will break.
9. Have sex!
10. After ejaculation, hold on to the condom while pulling out to ensure sperm doesn’t leak out.
    
11. Clean up!
    

NEVER USE A CONDOM MORE THAN ONCE!

Trojan Condoms

Girls and women may want to know about periods and their timing to be concerned with pregnancy and find out what is menstruation.

Vasectomies have been around for a long time. The first study into the effects of litigating a man’s sperm-carrying tubes, the vas deferens, was published in 1830, in London. The procedure started to be regularly performed for family planning purposes in the USA in the 1940s. In 1954, India launched the first vasectomy program on a national scale as a means to control its over-population problem, but Vasectomies did not come into common use until the late 1960s in the majority of western countries.

Vasectomy is a simple surgical procedure. It is the safest, most reliable form of sterilization. Yet it still seems to be the farthest things from many men’s minds when thinking about birth control methods. In all cultures, men grow up believing that their masculinity depends on their genitals. Their general reluctance to have that part of their body interfered with is therefore understandable.

The Procedure

A vasectomy is a quick surgical procedure that takes about 30 minutes and is performed using a local anesthetic. One or two incisions are made in the scrotum to reach the vas deferens, which are operated on one at a time. They are cut, then sutured, cauterized or clipped. In a ‘no scalpel’ vasectomy method, a special forceps is used to make just one tiny puncture in the scrotum, and no sutures are necessary. Another form of vasectomy, known as “Vasclip” was launched in the U.S. in 2003. In this procedure, a clip, about the size of a grain of rice, is placed over the vas deferens to seal it (instead of cutting it).

All vasectomies have the same result: the man becomes sterile because the sperm is kept out of the seminal fluid. The testes continue to produce sperm, and a man continues to ejaculate fluid. The only missing ingredient in the ejaculate is the sperm, which is stopped in the vas deferens at the point where the vasectomy occurred, and absorbed back into the body with no ill effects. Sperm make up about 1% of a man’s ejaculate, so there is no difference in volume.

A man goes home on the same day after a vasectomy, and can go back to work one or two days later. Since sperm is still present in a man’s system immediately after he has had a vasectomy, the World Health Organization recommends that couples continue to use a reliable alternative method of contraception (Tojan condoms, for example) for the first three months following the procedure. A semen analysis must also be done about twelve weeks after the vasectomy to confirm that no sperm is present. Between 10 and 15 ejaculations are usually required to clear the ducts of residual sperm.

Vasectomy Costs

Although prices vary regionally, vasectomy costs in the U.S. are between $250 and $1000, and are partially or completely covered by health care insurance.

Effectiveness

Vasectomies are the most reliable and effective means of male contraception available today. Nevertheless, there is no guarantee that vasectomies will always be 100% effective. Failures can occur either because the operation itself was unsuccessful, or because the tubes grew back together – but reports of such failures are extremely rare. The U.S. Agency for International Development states that failure rates for vasectomies are between 0.2 and 0.4 percent, and the Center for Disease Control has estimated the failure rate at 11 per 1000, over a period of two years.

Side Effects

Major complications are extremely rare, and there are no long-term health risks. Some minor side effects are:

• Pain (treated with mild analgesics, doesn’t last for more than a few days)
• Infection (swelling and temperature, consult your physician)
• Granulomas (small lumps that develop as a result of sperm leakage into the scrotum, they can be sensitive and are treated with anti-inflammatory drugs)
• Abscesses (rare, result of infection)
• Erectile dysfunction or decreased sexual drive (mostly psychological in nature, counseling is the answer).

Who is getting vasectomies – and why?

Because many vasectomies in the U.S. are performed in private clinics, it is difficult to obtain exact statistics on the subject. A number of surveys and telephone questionnaires suggest that about 500,000 vasectomies are performed every year, and that approximately 11% of the population relies on vasectomies as their primary means of birth control. A report published by the Department of Health and Human Services in 2005 listed the top four methods of birth control used in the U.S. as follows: the Pill (28%), Tubal Litigation (23%), Condoms (17%) and vasectomy (16%).

Apparently, the prevalence of vasectomies increases along with education and income. Surveys indicate that the majority of men receiving vasectomies are married or co-habiting, white, and educated beyond high school. Less than ten percent of surveyed samples had incomes of less than $25,000 and 81% of them paid for the procedure through private insurance or health care plans.

Most men report that they chose vasectomies over other contraceptive methods because sterilization is the most secure means of preventing pregnancy. Many of these men chose vasectomy over tubal litigation (female sterilization) because it is the safer, simpler, and less costly.

Are Vasectomies Reversible?

Vasectomy is permanent sterilization. Nevertheless, a reversal procedure that may restore fertility to some men, Vasovasostomy, does exists. The chances of reversal are at best 70% if the procedure is done within the first year after a vasectomy, dropping by 10% a year after that. Fifteen years or more after a vasectomy, the likelihood of pregnancy is 30% at the very most. This is true for the Vasclip procedure as well.

Vasovasostomy is a far more difficult and expensive (prices start at $6000) procedure than the vasectomy itself. It involves reconnecting the severed ends of the vas deferens to re-establish sperm flow. Many factors may cause Vasovasostomy failure. For example, over time the body’s natural response to un-ejaculated sperm in the testicles may affect the number and quality of the sperm released. Sperm potency is just as important as the successful reconnection procedure.

To conclude, once you (and your partner) are sure that you don’t, and won’t ever, want any children (or any more children), you could benefit from sterilization surgery. Yes, it’s STERILIZATION. Vasectomy is a PERMANENT male contraceptive method.

If the permanency doesn’t scare you, nothing else should. It is a painless, un-expensive procedure. It’s better than the good old trusty Trojan condom because you don’t have to make sure it’s automatically everywhere with you. It’s better than the Pill or Patch because it doesn’t mess with anyone’s hormones. And, no, it will NOT affect your manhood (sex drive, testosterone levels, orgasms or ability to have erections) in any way. On the contrary, men have reported that sex is more enjoyable and less inhibited after a vasectomy.

]]> http://www.trojancondoms.org/index.php/the-vasectomy-procedure-reversal-and-complications/feed/ 0 http://www.trojancondoms.org/index.php/how-to-put-on-a-female-condom/ http://www.trojancondoms.org/index.php/how-to-put-on-a-female-condom/#comments Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:03:13 +0000 admin http://www.trojancondoms.org/?p=50

The Female Condom (FC) is one of the three FDA approved products (male latex condoms, male polyurethane condoms and the FC) of its type that protect against unintended pregnancies and work to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS through sexual intercourse – the only one that is controlled by the woman.

The FC is a thin pouch worn by women during intercourse. Invented by a Danish physician, it has been available in Europe since 1992 and was approved by the FDA in 1993. It is a polyurethane pouch with a flexible ring at each end (one end is closed). The flexible ring at the closed end is inserted into the vagina and helps keep the condom in place. The ring at the open end stays outside the vulva and is used to guide the penis during penetration. The inside of the condom is lubricated. The Female condom physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body although it does not have spermicide.

FC2 Female Condom
This new version was announced in 2005 by the makers of the original Female Condom. It has the same design, but is made of nitrile (which may be cheaper to produce). Large scale production of the FC2 began in 2007. A third version of Female Condom is the VA Condom Feminine, made of latex. It is much shorter than the FC (3.5”) but very elastic. A rounded triangular form at the open end and a sponge inside the closed end help fix it inside the vagina. It too is lubricated, but contains no spermicide.

VA Condom Feminine

The VA Condom Feminine has gained the “CE Mark” for European marketing, but is not yet approved by the FDA.

How do Female Condoms Work?
The condom covers the inside of the vagina, and a man’s ejaculate is collected inside the sheath or pouch, keeping the sperm out of the vagina. Pregnancy cannot happen if sperm don’t join with an egg. By keeping the semen and pre-ejaculatory out of the vagina (or anus), the Female Condom also prevents STDs.

Safety of Female Condoms
Female Condoms are as safe as tampons – any woman who can use a tampon can also safely use a FC. Although some people use Female Condoms for anal sex, this can be painful and could cause rectal bleeding. It is better to use lubricated male condoms (the lubricant should not be Nonoxynol 9). Trojan condoms offer a wide variety of lubricated condoms. Female condoms can also be safely used to prevent the spread of STIs during oral sex – although this involves a very awkward process of cutting the sheath and placing it over the man’s genitals or mouth. Again, go with the old Trojan condom.

Effectiveness of the Female Condom
Used correctly and consistently, female condoms are 95% effective as a contraceptive method. The effectiveness of female condoms as a means of contraception drops to 79% when used imperfectly (perfect use almost never occurs). Its effectiveness is in the same range as other barrier methods of contraception (the diaphragm, the cervical cap, the male condom and the sponge). It is also important to understand what is menstruation?

Because it is a relatively recent product, the effectiveness of the female condom for preventing STIs has not been studied as widely as its contraceptive effectiveness. So, although it is widely claimed to be an effective barrier against STDs, there is little published data to prove (or disprove) this claim. Nevertheless, small-scale studies have shown FCs to be at least as effective as male condoms in preventing the spread of Gonorrhea, Trichomoniasis and Chlamydia, for example. Some estimates suggest that with correct and persistent use, the female condom would result in a 97.1% reduction in the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS for each act of intercourse.

How Female Condoms Are Used
Female condoms are only effective if inserted before sexual intercourse. They can be placed up to eight hours prior to intercourse, and should never be used at the same time as a male condom since the friction could easily cause the condoms to break.

1. Wash your hands first, then open the package carefully, and do NOT use scissors.

2. If you are using an FC or an FC2 Female Condom, hold the pouch with the open end (where the outer ring is) hanging down. The inner ring is at the closed end.

Grasp the flexible inner ring and squeeze it so that it becomes long and narrow.

3. Find a comfortable position (lie down with knees bent and legs apart, raise one leg or squat with knees apart), and gently insert the inner ring inside your vaginal opening.

4. Place your index finger inside the condom and push the inner ring as far as it will go. This may take some time because the condom is lubricated and slippery. Be patient, and make sure the condom is not twisted. The outside ring of the female condom should be outside your body.

5. The female condom is now in place and ready for used, with your partner.

6. Now guide the man’s penis into the female condom so that it doesn’t enter the vagina during intercourse. Be sure that the penis is not entering between the condom and the vaginal wall. Use enough lubricant to ensure that the female condom stays in place during sex.

7. To remove the condom after sex, squeeze and twist the outer ring gently to keep the sperm inside the pouch. Gently pull the female condom out.

8. Wrap the condom in its package or in tissue and throw it away – do not flush it.

The FC does not need to be removed immediately after intercourse like a male condom, but it should be removed before the woman stands, to avoid sperm spilling out.

Benefits and Disadvantages
For many women, the process described above is, to say the least, difficult to get used to. That is one of the main disadvantages of the female condom. Other disadvantages are:

• Does not contain spermicide

• The outer ring is visible outside the vagina, making some women feel self-conscious

• The FC and FC2 condoms can make noise during intercourse (adding extra lubricant can help resolve this issue)

• Like all condoms, it can break or leak

• Higher failure rate in preventing pregnancy than non-barrier methods

• Female condoms may cause irritation of the vagina, vulva, penis or anus

• They may slip into the vagina (or anus) during intercourse

• Cost – about three times more expensive than male condoms

Now consider the benefits of Female Condoms:

• Prevent the spread of STDs, including HIV/AIDS, if used correctly (because they cover more skin, female condoms are better than male condoms at preventing some skin-to-skin contracted STIs such as Herpes)

• A woman may be able to use a female condom if her partner refuses to use a male condom

• Protection against unintended pregnancies

• Doesn’t reduce a partner’s stimulation (polyurethane and nitrile are thin and conduct heat well, preserving sensation)

• Doesn’t require a prescription

• No hormonal side effects

• Doesn’t affect future fertility

• Erection isn’t necessary to put the condom in place

• Can be inserted up to 8 hours before intercourse so as not to interfere with the moment

• Can be used by people with latex sensitivities.

• Female condoms are pre-lubricated, and polyurethane and nitrile can be used with both oil-based and water-based lubricants.

• No special storage requirements are needed (temperature changes don’t affect the condom).

• Insertion could be part of sex play

• Female condom use is initiated by women, provides an additional option to male condoms, and gives women more control over their reproductive health.

Who Can Use Female Condom?

• People who want to protect themselves, or their partners against STDs and unwanted pregnancies

• People whose partners can’t or won’t use latex condoms

• People who are HIV+ or have HIV+ partners

• Women who are menstruating

Cost and Availability
The female condom is used in public health programs in more than 90 countries, and is sold directly to consumers in about ten countries, including the United States where female condoms can be bought over the counter in drugstores and supermarkets, or on the internet. FCs come in only one size and cost between $2.50 and $5 per condom. Female Condom use is estimated at between 0.2% and 0.5% of global condom use.

Three obstacles hinder the widespread use of the female condom: insufficient research on its effectiveness in preventing STIs; male involvement (you cannot use it without your partner’s knowledge) and its cost (in many developing countries the high cost has lead women to re-use the polyurethane FC).

Unfortunately, these perfectly normal parental emotions often lead to parental silence about sexual issues, or to the postponement of the dreaded talk – both of which can have drastic effects on the wellbeing of children. As a concerned parent, you must make certain that once they reach puberty, your children will know about sex, contraception and STD prevention – and that they learn this information from YOU.

Regardless of whether or not you believe your children to be currently sexually active, the first step is to find out what they know (or think they know) about unintended pregnancies, STDs and contraception. During the changes of puberty, children are very curious about sex, and they NEED basic, accurate information. Parental silence on the subject may cause younger teens to fall prey to older teens or adults. Parental silence can also be interpreted as disapproval, breeding sexual anxiety in the child that may affect his / her future sex life. While it is important to try to select the right time to teach your children about sex, postponing the moment only means that they will obtain the information (or misinformation) they need from their peers rather than from you.

Your children need to be taught about the physical act of sex. They need to know what intercourse is. They also need you to tell them that it’s pleasurable, why it’s pleasurable, and that there is more than one way to have sex. Don’t fall into the trap of only talking about frightening negatives – the danger of contracting STDs, unwanted pregnancies and the pain of being abandoned by a boyfriend or girlfriend. This is what many parents do. They do it out of concern for their children, and a little bit in the hope of postponing their child’s sexual activity. Remember that successful, happy adults are comfortable and happy with their sex lives. You want your children to grow into successful, happy adults – so don’t put them off sex.

Teach your children how babies are made. This is not the same as how to have intercourse. You must teach them about women’s cycles. Clear away any misinformation your child may have. Explain that a girl can get pregnant the first time she has sex, during her period, standing up or while on contraceptive medications.

When talking about contraception, don’t simply say “use precautions”. Be specific. Give your daughter all the details she needs. Explain about the Emergency Contraception Pill (ECP) or “morning after pill”. You can give her pamphlets or books too.

Make sure your son or daughter knows that in addition to protection against unintended pregnancy, latex condoms are the only protection against STDs. Many young people who think of themselves as “virgins” engage in oral or anal sex to maintain this virginity and avoid teenage pregnancy statistics. Explain that this sexual activity can also put them at risk for STDs.

Even if you disapprove of birth control or sex before marriage, as a concerned parent you MUST discuss these topics with your children, because regardless of what you believe in your teen may choose to become sexually active. Your silence will NOT stop him or her, though it may cause your child to explore sex in secrecy, burdened with guilt, fear and misinformation.

Below are some suggestions that should help you decide when the right time to talk to your children is, and how you could go about it:

· First things first: Know what you’re talking about! Birth control methods have evolved with time and the outbreak of HIV/AIDS and other STDs.

· Start early, and don’t wait till your children ask you about sex. Begin by sharing your values and views on love and relationships with your 9, 10 or 11 year olds. Remember – practice what you preach.

· Look for natural “teachable moments” that occur when you are with your children. Parents and teens can have some of their best talks during long car rides. Take advantage of the next time you pass by a clinic to talk about sex, for example. Try to bring up the topic naturally. Develop a conversation from a news item or a movie you watched together.

· Give your children sexual information and perspective from both a woman and a man’s point of view. Moms can explain what girls feel, and dads can explain to their daughters a bit about how boys think.

· Listen. Always listen. Show that you are interested, but don’t demand details. Teens prize their privacy – but they also want their parents to be involved in their lives.

· Above all, stay actively involved in your child’s life.

]]> http://www.trojancondoms.org/index.php/tips-to-help-parents-talk-with-their-children/feed/ 0 http://www.trojancondoms.org/index.php/petition-to-the-catholic-church-to-allow-condoms-for-disease-prevention/ http://www.trojancondoms.org/index.php/petition-to-the-catholic-church-to-allow-condoms-for-disease-prevention/#comments Wed, 28 May 2008 03:19:04 +0000 admin http://www.trojancondoms.org/?p=28 The Catholic Church has always taken its stand on saving oneself for marriage and/or being faithful in one, and any means or use of contraception for any reason has always been frowned upon.

Though bishops and priests have taken stands to allow the use of condoms, not as a method of conception, but as a means to combat diseases, such as AIDS, the Vatican has remained faithful to its teachings of fighting diseases with other resources. With AIDS still on the loose, without a cure in sight and numbers of infections increasing- all Catholic priests are faced with a dilemma on whether to stick with tradition (abstinence until marriage, and being faithful to one’s spouse when married) or listen to modern society and support the use of condoms for disease prevention. Ever increasingly, leaders of the Catholic Church are now advocating the use of condoms to prevent the spread of disease. When will the rest come around?

For year end 2007, the number of people living with HIV has risen from 8 million in 1990 to more than 33 million today, and the numbers are growing. Around 69% of people living in the world with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa. Statistics also show that in Africa, particularly Uganda, the rate of increase in HIV has actually DECLINED with the use of condoms! At a tiny clinic in an Ugandan suburb run by Dr. Henry Katamba, women wait for antenatal advice and Aids testing. They are given explanations of HIV and three options: A, B or C. That’s (A) Abstain from sex, (B)Be faithful or (C) use a Condom. That’s what their government used to say – and everyone understood. Under this previous “balanced” strategy, condom distribution grew from four million a year to 118 million. Thanks to the abstinence message, teenagers lost their virginity about 18 months later than before. People with multiple partners realized changed their behaviors. In 1992, one in five Ugandans had Aids. By 2001 that number dropped to one in 20.
The “balanced” strategy made a big difference in this single country. Why does the Catholic Church insist on condemning the use of condoms. The Church is known to have made changes to its traditions in the past. Just recently, The Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI would issue a new prayer for the Jews to replace that in the Missal of Blessed John XXIII (1962). The Church has changed its position on unbaptized babies being condemned to eternity in limbo. Why can’t the Church consider saving life by disease prevention and making the world a safer and healthier place. Please show your support with this petition as we will be sending it direct to the Vatican.

The general impression of the Rhythm Method is that it is a traditional, simple, natural and risk-free contraceptive method. In many people’s minds, the simplicity of the method means that no medical management or doctor’s supervision is necessary when using this method. The fact that it is a traditional method also suggests to some that its effectiveness or reliability has been proven over the years. Also, because this means of contraception is acceptable to most religions, there is a widespread conviction that it does not cause embryonic death – and it is therefore appealing to many pro-lifers. A woman’s decision to use the Rhythm Method of Contraception is often based on one, or a combination, of the above notions. The Rhythm Method may be the right contraceptive method for many couples. Before electing to use it, however, it is essential to understand what it is, how it works, and what its use involves.

The process of conception involves the fertilization of a woman’s egg inside one of her Fallopian tubes leading to the eventual implantation of a cluster of growing cells in the uterus and the start of pregnancy. All contraceptive methods involve interfering with this process at some point: either to stop ovulation (production of the egg), to prevent fertilization (of the egg by male sperm in the Fallopian tube) or to prevent implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus.

No contraceptive method can accurately be described as natural. From tubal litigation to condom use and withdrawal, all methods of contraception are the result of conscious human attempts to stop nature from taking its course. The belief that the Rhythm Method is a natural contraceptive method may have its origins in the fact that members of the Roman Catholic Church promoted it in the early 20th century (contraceptive methods accepted by this Church are known as Natural Family Planning).

What is true, however, is that contraceptive methods don’t all require the same degree of medical involvement. The only contraceptive methods that can possibly used effectively used without medical consultation whatsoever are condom use, spermicidal use, withdrawal – and, of course, complete abstinence. Contrary to popular belief, a doctor’s advice and supervision are important for effectively using the rhythm method. Proper condom usage instructions can be found at Trojan Condoms.

So what is the Rhythm Method? It’s a contraceptive method that consists of avoiding intercourse (or using a barrier method like condoms or diaphragms) during the days when a woman is fertile. Known for thousands of years and widely discussed in the 19^th century, it has the reputation of being a very unreliable form of contraception, and it’s true that it was notoriously ineffective until modern times (1920s) when a scientific understanding of the female fertility cycle was developed.

Since it the Rhythm Method depends on calculating the woman’s fertile period (when the egg travels down the Fallopian tube where it may be fertilized by sperm), it is also known as the Calendar Rhythm Method. The method uses past cycles to predict future fertility: You predict your next ovulation time based on records of your past menstrual cycles. It is, in essence, a system for GUESSING when you are most likely to be ovulating – and not the best method for guessing either. If a woman’s cycle is regular and about 28 days long, then she is most likely to ovulate (be fertile) 14 to 15 days after menstrual bleeding begins, but very few women have regular 28-day cycles, and even those that do will probably have irregular periods from time to time.

A Roman Catholic physician, John Smulders, developed the first formalized calendar-based rhythm method in 1930, based on the findings of two other physicians (Klaus and Ogino), who had, in the 1920s, discovered that women ovulate about fourteen days before their next menstrual period. What this means is that menstrual cycles have several days in the beginning (pre-ovulation) and several days just before the next cycle (post-ovulation) when women are less likely to conceive. The two physicians never worked together, but the Calendar Rhythm Method was named the Knaus-Ogino Rhythm Method.

To use the Knaus-Ogino Rhythm Method with any rate of success you must not only exercise self-discipline during your two-week ovulation period, but you also need to do a considerable amount of record keeping and calculation to determine when those two weeks will be. It is no wonder then that imperfect use of this method leads to a failure rate of about 25%! When used perfectly, the failure rate for this method is said to be 9%. One reason for the popularity of the Knaus-Ogino Rhythm Method was its availability to Catholics and people of other faiths who cannot in conscience use other methods of contraception.

In 1999, Georgetown University’s Institute for Reproductive Health introduced a new development in the calendar-based rhythm method: The Standard Days Method, which uses colored CycleBeads to help a woman keep track of her fertile and infertile days, and is simpler to use. Days 1 to 7 of a woman’s menstrual cycle are infertile, days 8 to 19 are fertile, and the infertility phase resumes on day 20 of the cycle. With a perfect-use failure rate of 5%, it is more effective than the Knaus-Ogino method. However, only women who know that their cycles are always between 26 and 32 days long may use this method with any degree of effectiveness. In short, the calendar-based rhythm method of contraception is an extremely unreliable contraceptive method for women who have short, long or irregular menstrual cycles. In fact, using this contraceptive method alone is not recommended for ANY woman who is serious about preventing pregnancy.

The good news is that since 1930, significant progress has been made in predicting the infertile phases of women’s cycles. Although this is a controversial matter, we’ll assume for the purpose of this article that the Fertility Awareness Method is an improved version of the Rhythm Method of Contraception. You still use your menstrual cycle to predict your least fertile time of the month. The difference is that in addition to the calendar-based method discussed above, you can use other more recently discovered fertility indicators or symptoms-based fertility methods:

• Basal Body Temperature, BBT (body temperature rises a couple of days before ovulation, so you have to measure and record your BBT every morning)
• Cervical Mucus Method (you need to check the amount, look and texture of cervical mucus during your cycle because just before your menstrual cycle, the amount of mucus increases and its texture is different)
• Hormone Monitoring (Ovulation Predictor Kits can be bought to test the level of a certain hormone in your urine; higher levels indicate that ovulation is about to occur)
• Symptothermal Method (a combination of the above methods and the calendar-based method discussed earlier).

For the Rhythm Method of Contraception to be most effective, it is imperative that a woman keep track of all of the above fertility indicators, in combination, for several months before starting to use the Rhythm Method as a means of contraception. The correct use of the Fertility Awareness Rhythm Method also necessitates expert professional guidance by a physician.

The bottom line is that no contraceptive method is 100% effective – but the rhythm method is more risky than other methods like those involving Trojan Condoms. Even with medical supervision, the Rhythm Method is the least reliable contraceptive method around, and the number of women who get pregnant using this method is 25 out of every 100. You should only choose to use this method if you are aware of your monthly cycle, know that it is regular, are willing to invest the time and effort to learn how to use fertility awareness methods and – if you (and your partner) are prepared to accept the method’s low rate of protection against pregnancy.

The Rhythm Method of Contraception has no side effects, and does not involve the same type of health risks as those associated with hormonal contraception. Remember, however, that this method (unlike condoms for example) provides absolutely no protection against STDs.

Trojan Condoms. Finally, while has long been believed that the rhythm method works (when it does work) by preventing conception from occurring, an article published in 2006 by Professor Luc Bovens of the London school of Economics argues* that part of the success of the method stems from the fact that embryos conceived on the fringes of the fertile phase of a woman’s cycle are less healthy or viable. They are therefore less likely to survive. In other words, if you do use the Rhythm Method and have intercourse at a time you believe to be safe, an embryo can still be formed – but it will be less likely to survive. If it does die, the Rhythm Method of Contraception may in fact cause embryonic death.

Planned Parenthood is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has a presence in all 50 states (860 affiliate locations). The organization works to expand and develop services and education in order to keep up with the needs of a changing society. Planned Parenthood Federation offers online health services and will discuss anything concerning the sexual life of a person. They respect privacy and can help counsel people through difficult decisions including sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies. PPFA also provides comprehensive information on birth control and choosing the right method from abstinence to contraception and beyond. These include condoms, that when used correctly can provide a 98% to 99% effective rate against pregnancy and offer very good protection against HIV, chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis, gonorrhea, syphilis, etc. Many PPFA locations make condoms available.

Besides the online services, Planned Parenthood has mobile clinics, permanent clinics and express clinics in shopping malls. About 750,000 teenagers in the United States will become pregnant this year, and at least one in four teenage girls in U.S. has a sexually transmitted infection. Planned Parenthood is collaborating with state and federal governments to provide medically accurate and comprehensive sex education programs that helps teens stay healthy and make well informed decisions while guiding others through tough choices.

More than 33 million people are now living with HIV/AIDS. 2.5 million people were infected in 2007 alone and about 40 percent of the HIV infections occurred among young people between the ages of 15-24.

Planned Parenthood supports access to contraceptives, condoms, and reproductive health care worldwide to protect our health and safety. For more information on Trojan Condoms and related issues please see Trojan Condoms.

Planned parenthood can be reached online at http://www.plannedparenthood.org/. They can also be reached at: 1-800-230-PLAN (1-800-230-7526).

Church and Dwight, the company the owns Trojan Condoms has stated, “We urge consumers to buy Magnum brand condoms from trusted retailers… We cannot vouch for the safety and efficacy of counterfeit products.” The company has stated that it has worked diligently to inhibit stores from selling counterfeit products and to buy from reputable distributors.

This is the major concern with the knock-offs. They appear to have been poorly manufactured and may not provide the protection that customers have come to expect from Trojan Condoms.

How to distinguish the real Trojan Condoms from the fake:
1 – Packaging: The fake condoms have cheap packaging although the logos seem to be spot on. The real Trojan Condoms have aluminum packaging. Try bending the corner of the package and if it flips back without help, it may be a fake.

2 – Size: The real Trojan Magnum Condoms are larger than the fakes.

3 – Smell: The fake condoms have a sweet perfume smell that the originals do not.

Possessors of fake Trojan Condoms are advised not to use them. Please see the news report below comparing and contrasting the real and fake varieties:

Published descriptions and trials of the of the condom were made by Italy’s Gabrielle Fallopius in the 16th century. He invented a linen sheath and subject eleven hundred men to testing for the prevention of syphilis which not one contracted.

What are Condoms?

Early versions of condoms were made of animal gut and these became increasing popular in the 18th century. Advertisements are available during that time period that spoke of the condom’s use as a receptacle. Condom, from the Latin word condon, meaning receptacle.

Charles Goodyear invented and patented vulcanized rubber in 1844 and the first condom made of that material was made available to the market in 1855. This process treated rubber with heat and sulphur and made the condom stretchable. This was better for condom sex.

The German Julius Fromm created a new process in 1912 that replaced the previous seamed method of condom manufacturing. This process dipped glass rods into a rubber solution allowing for much thinner versions of condoms. Fromms is still a popular brand of condom in Germany today.

The Trojan Condoms brand first arrived in 1920 when they were manufactured by Young’s Rubber, a company owned by Merle Leland Young of New York. American comstock laws gave Trojan Condom’s a virtual monopoly by forbidding the sale of condoms outside of pharmacies and creating significant barriers to entry for potential competitors.

In 1930 the process improved again and switched to latex based materials. These condoms were now single use sex contraceptives and are very similar to those used today.

The manufacturer of Trojan Condoms, Young’s Rubbers, was renamed to Young’s Drug Products Corporation which was bought by the huge drug conglomerate, Carter-Wallace Inc in 1985.

The aids epidemic beginning in the 1980s and strong recommendations by the U.S. Surgeon General led to a resurgence in condom use and especially those of Trojan Condoms.

Church and Dwight (The owner’s of Arm & Hammer, and others) purchased the consumer products division of Carter-Wallace in 2001 and is to date the owner of the brand. Over 8 billion condoms are made annually with Trojan Condoms accounting for 70.5% of sales. This what condoms are.

This is a natural latex condom and is electronically tested.

Itcan be used with oil based lubricants as well as non spermicidal lubricants. It is clear and without oder with a water based reservoir tip. These condoms are 100% electronically tested.

This avoids the smell of latex and makes the condoms more desirable while protecting you at the same time. These condoms are tested for safety.