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Author: Fridolin Kaether

Sex - Well Wrapped

Berlin 25. 01. 2001

Condoms Put to the Test

There are two ways to protect yourself against AIDS and unwanted pregnancy: Either do it like Britney Spears or reach for a condom. Even the ancient Greeks were familiar with condoms.

There are two ways to protect yourself against AIDS and unwanted pregnancy: Either do without sex before marriage like Britney Spears or reach for a condom. Even the ancient Greeks were familiar with condoms - they even used to make them out of goat bladders. Today, condoms are made mostly out of latex and are paper thin at a thickness ranging from 0.04 to 0.1 Millimetres.

The German Foundation for Product Testing (Issue 6/1999) tested condoms and came up with reassuring results: Whether black or pink, strawberry scented or extra lubricated, only three of the 29 brand name condoms tested received the rating of `faulty.` The models `durex emotions,` `Profil` and `Black Jack` failed the safety test.

The other 26 condoms all achieved the rating of `good` which they require in order to conform to the European standard. At the very minimum, condoms have to be able to hold a volume of 18 Litres and withstand the pressure of one Kilo-Pascal. Additionally, they have to be able to stretch 700 percent and not tear under the force of 39 Newtons (for `extra strength` condoms, 100 Newtons). Maybe the physics nuts among you can try to explain to me what this exactly means. If you are unclear on this as well, ask your physics teacher.

In order for condoms to protect you effectively, there are a few rules you should follow regarding their use. Observe the best-before date especially from condoms bought from vending machines, as they might have been in there for more than a while. Look to see whether the wrapping has somehow been damaged, and read the instructions.
A good set of instructions on the use of condoms can be found here: www.condomat.de (in German).

Furthermore, latex can't stand strong heat and dissolves upon contact with oil-based cremes or other oils. It is advisable not to use fun-condoms with unusual shapes, as these condoms are prone to having structural weaknesses. If you still want to experiment with fun-condoms, it's recommend to use a second `normal` condom underneath.

For people who are allergic to latex, there are now condoms on the market made of polyurethane, a type of plastic. The `durex avanti` is one such example, but in contrast to latex condoms, the price of 5 DM (ca. 2.55 Euro) per condom is almost five times what you would pay for a normal condom.

http://www.condomat.de/infos/anwendung/anwendung.html- Directions for the use of condoms (in German)
http://www.warentest.de/wtest/plsql/sw_test.anzeige_5zeiler?kontaktnr=0&tmp_inh_id=15563&tmp_rubrik=artikel&tmp_zeitschrift=t- The test results online (in German)