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Are "Novelty" Condoms Safe?
Question
I've seen a catalog with all types of strange-looking "novelty" condoms -
with big bumps on them or animal shapes on the tips, things like that. Are these okay to
use?
Answer
These may cause problems. Consulting Editor Nicholas J. Fiumara, M.D., M.P.H., a
specialist in sexually transmitted disease, says that "with the appearance and spread
of AIDS during the past 10 years, and the resulting emphasis on safer sex, the sale and
use of condoms has...risen dramatically in both the homosexual and the heterosexual
population."
Presumably to heighten the sexual arousal of women, ordinary condoms are sometimes
adorned with an animal at the tip, such as a plastic rooster. Others may have dozens of
small plastic knobs protruding from the end.
"Unfortunately," says Dr. Fiumara, "these decorated condoms may also
produce sexual complications, including multiple abrasions and lacerations of the vaginal
walls, and broken condom tips that remain in the vagina, creating a foul-smelling
discharge that requires medical attention."
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