By Shannon Gentry
Finding the right contraceptive can be tricky at times, but the go-to for most college students is condoms. Cheap, effective and available without prescription or health insurance, these little latex marvels are great for college kids on a budget.
Why choose condoms over other birth control methods?
First of all, you don’t even have to choose. You can never have enough protection in your life, so if you’re on the pill or other form of birth control then consider what they lack: they do not protect you against sexually transmitted diseases and infections. Hence, the importance of knowing what condom choices we have.
Well-known brands such as Trojan and LifeStyles offer many choices ranging in size, color and sensations. I have to say though, when going for the new sensations that some condoms offer, one must be careful.
My boyfriend and I wanted to add more adventure to our safe sex by purchasing a variety pack of Trojan condoms. The Trojan Pleasure Pack New Mix included: Twisted, Sensations, Intense and Fire & Ice. The first three were fine but nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn’t like we were able to forget that the condom was there and its presence brought a new extraordinary ending. No, they were condoms as all condoms seem to be. But it’s the fourth, Fire & Ice, that particularly stood out.
I was excited about trying this one because the description led me to believe that my boyfriend and I would share “warming and tingling sensations.” However, I should have realized that when the name reminded me of Icy Hot for back pain that the end would reflect as such. My boyfriend said that it “wasn’t comfortable” and I would describe it as if a hot poker were in my vagina. My vagina was burning alive and we had to stop.
I do not recommend this condom.
In the end, we had five of these icy hot fireballs that we would not be using again in the near future. I couldn’t imagine who would want them. Although, I asked my friend if he would like some condoms, he saw them and said, “Oh yeah, those are my favorite!” So, it just goes to show that you never know, you may actually like them.
But have an ice pack near by.
If you have any recommendations of great condoms or other effective yet comfortable means of protection, let me know. And if you have any questions about safe sex, awareness programs, or other general questions that you feel need to be answered, email me.
