Who thought condoms could be so exciting? Here I am again talking about condoms. I thought that there would not be so much to say about these little guys but I guess there is. There are a few points to talk a bit more about.
First of all just about everything you buy inCanadahas some kind of standards that it must pass. I could not think of anything that didn’t. At first I thought maybe if you buy dirt for your flower patch it would not be controlled, but no almost everything has to pass standards, this includes condoms.
Condoms in Canada must adhere to International Standards. US also in 2009 began using the same international standards for condoms, before 2009 they only used a US standard that was almost the same as International Standards. So if you go to theUSand get condoms they too should be equally safe as you good old Canadian condoms that you are used to.
I asked Jody Jollymore at HIM about their condom distribution program. Though they have not done a formal survey of their condom users they hear good things about them. Jody feels that the current condoms are better than the old ones that they used to provide, in that he gets reports that they are thinner and feel better.
All condoms brands will have a few that break in use as Consumer Reports says some brands will break more than others. Studies of heterosexuals show about 1% of condoms break. But maybe (it is only a guess) gay guys with more practice and experience have a lower percentage of breakage. But it is interesting that if HIM gives out 150,000 condoms in a year, 1% breakage would mean 1,500 would break, if we are better at using condom than most and have half the breakage rate then 750 of these condoms would break. But no one, not one person, reports condom breakage to HIM. Elgin Lim of Positive Living also told me that they do not get reports of condoms breaking. I personally in social discussion do not hear of condoms breaking, but as a therapist I do hear of them breaking and it affects peoples relationships, and sense of safety and security in having sex. But it seems people do not talk much about condom breakage socially.
Now for some good news. Jody told me that HIM will respond to requests for larger condoms and non latex condoms by providing these condoms at the Sexual Health Centre beginning next month (he hopes). (address and opening times here???)
Non latex condoms are important for guys who have allergies to latex. Many guys may not know that they have a latex allergy. I am told that a non scientific test to explore if maybe you have a latex allergy is if you blow up a balloon or two or three and your lips tingle and feel a little numb you may have a latex allergy. This maybe something you want to explore further because you do not want your cock or your asshole to feel numb, feeling is part of the fun of fucking.
I talked to Elgin Lim at Positive Living Centre about their condom distribution program and he said they get their condoms from Vancouver Coastal Health, he said that they receive comments on their condoms that they are a bit “basic”, guys say they do not fit well or feel good to use. They are trying to obtain different condoms for their members.
I asked BCCDC how they choose their condoms and at press time they could not provide an answer. So there seems to be no more information I can find as to how BCCDC chooses their condoms and how they rate in terms of failure rate to other brands.