Options available for condom shoppers
Yingmeng YuWith vast brands and various features, shopping for the perfect condom can be an all-day task.
Durex, Class Act, Trustex and Saxon are just a few of the names that line pharmacy shelves, and the options don’t end there.
There has been a large increase in the number of condom features including snugger, extra strength, ribbed, maxx, ultra sensitive, excalibur, embrace and ultra pleasure.
Lifestyles and Trojan brand condoms appear to be top sellers in Mount Pleasant.
Rite Aid employee Jan Schlorff said spermicidal Trojan brands leave the store quickly. The same goes for Meijer, said pharmacy technician Jenna Scott.
Kmart health and beauty care manager Susan Reed said several condoms are popular at the establishment including banana- and strawberry-flavored and studded Lifestyles.
Sexual health coordinator Angie Nicholson said students on a budget can drop by Foust Hall 106 or 108 for free condoms.
Only 29.6 percent of college students used a condom the last time they had sexual intercourse, according to a 1997 survey by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“I wish the numbers were higher,” said Nicholson, Alanson graduate student. “I think everyone should be using condoms even if you’re in a relationship.”
Shopping for condoms, the only form of birth control that protects against sexually transmitted diseases, can be a fun experience, according to www.condomheaven.com.
There are several other Web sites where people can purchase their favorite condoms and have them sent to their door, including www.CondomUSA.com, www.onlycondoms.com and www.condoms2GO.com.
Web sites often feature exotic prophylactics not sold in stores.
Female condoms have yet to stack up with the male version as far as reliability and availability, Nicholson said.
The effectiveness of the female condom is 79 to 95 percent compared to 88 to 97 percent for the male condom, she said. It is also more difficult to find female condoms.
Problems can accompany the usage of female condoms, Nicholson said.
“The problem with the female condom is that they cover more area on the outside, but sometimes the penis is inserted into the side and not into the condom,” she said. “You have to be careful when using them.”
Condoms should be used during all forms of contact with bodily fluids, Nicholson said.
“It’s important to use condoms for oral sex as well,” she said. “You can always get flavored condoms.”
