Being on the receiving end of these common excuses (and condom myths) is a universal experience: “It doesn’t feel as good”, “I’m really good at pulling out”, and “I’ll pay for the morning-after pill.” Thanks to some long-standing contraception fodder, it seems we’re still skipping the barrier contraceptive. In fact, new research by Here We Flo suggests that just 15% of the nation regularly restock on condoms, despite a third of Gen Z and millennial women stopping birth control in the last year.
More disheartening stats? According to the Family Planning Association (FPA), nearly one in 10 think it’s taboo for a woman to buy and carry condoms. Just one reason why two young Brits, Sarah Welsh, a doctor, and Farah Kabir, a former banker, are tackling the perception head-on. Their new condom brand, HANX, ditches gimmicky flavours and visuals taken from the male gaze for high-end white packaging and 100% vegan latex. “I want women to feel proud to carry protection,” says Sarah.
But with STI rates on the up, and a third of Brits stated they never use any form of contraception (AKA the best condoms), we thought it was high time to debunk some common myths — including queries on size and stretch. Yep, all those excuses to go bareback are not exactly backed by fact.
Meet our experts:
Common condom myths, debunked:
‘Condoms make sex worse’
Straight up, no — and there’s science to back it up. A 2007 study found that the more condom-protected sex someone had, the more likely they were to be sexually satisfied. A year later, the Kinsey Institute discovered that women using hormonal contraception and condoms enjoyed sex more than those who skipped the rubber – a finding mirrored in a 2016 study when condoms were pitted against the withdrawal method. Unsurprisingly, women felt much more sexual pleasure when using protection vs none. AKA, there is no aphrodisiac quite like safety.
‘Condoms kill the moment’
I’d argue only if you let them. You might have to pause your foreplay for a second while you slide one on, but anticipation can actually add to the moment. And yes, there is another study that shares my views. A paper published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine reported that 38% of men aren’t affected at all — and of the 32% who did report condoms being a boner killer, most were likely to suffer from erectile issues outside of condom use.
CEO of the FPA, Natika Halil, believes many men who complain about condoms are either fearful of putting them on wrong or are using the wrong size. That’s why she suggests trying various shapes and sizes, as well as practising when self-pleasuring solo. In other words, it’s often due to mental anxiety.
Dr Mark Lawton, Sexual health consultant and member of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), also suggests that once a condom is on, many actually find it “a benefit that allows them to last longer.”
‘Condoms always break’
That ‘always’ is more like 2% of the time. And it’s not the condoms themselves that up the odds, but incorrect use. Common fails include: