Sex `pleasurable with or without use of condom or lubricant`

 

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American men and women rated sex as highly arousing and pleasurable whether or not condoms and/or lubricants were used, a study has revealed.

Condoms and lubricants are commonly used by both women and men when they have sex.

Led by Debby Herbenick, PhD, MPH and Michael Reece, PhD, MPH, of the School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University, researchers reviewed a nationally representative study of men and women in the United States ages 18-59 to assess characteristics of condom and lubricant use during participants’ most recent sexual event, and the relationship of their condom and lubricant use to their ratings of sexual quality.

Data were from the 2009 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, which involved the administration of an online questionnaire to a nationally representative probability sample of the U.S. adults.

Results showed that men and women consistently rate sex as highly arousing and pleasurable with few differences based on condom or lubricant use. More than twice as many women were unsure whether the condom was lubricated or from what material it was made.

“This may be because men are more likely than women to purchase condoms and to apply condoms,” said Dr. Herbenick.

“However, it’s important for more women to become familiar with the condoms they use with their partner so that they can make choices that enhance the safety and pleasure of their sexual experiences,” she added.

Additionally, no significant differences were found in regard to men’s ratings of the ease of their erections based on condom and lubricant use.

The study appeared in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

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Now, a female condom that wards off STD

 

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Researchers at the University of Washington (UW) developed the condom from tiny microfibres through a method called 'electrospinning'. They are then designed to dissolve after use, either within minutes or over several days.

Not only would the condom block sperm, it could time-release a potent mix of anti-HIV drugs and hormonal contraceptives, the Daily Mail reported.

Kim Woodrow, assistant professor of bio-engineering at Washington, said: "Our dream is to create a product women can use to protect themselves from HIV infection and unintended pregnancy. We have the drugs to do that. It's really about delivering them in a way that makes them more potent, and allows a woman to want to use it."

Woodrow presented the idea, and co-authors Emily Krogstad and Cameron Ball, both first-year graduate students, agreed to pursue the project, at a meeting held last year.

Ball added: "This method allows controlled release of multiple compounds. We were able to tune the fibres to have different release properties."

One of the fabrics dissolves within minutes, offering users immediate protection, while another fabric dissolves gradually over a few days, providing an alternative to the birth-control pill, to provide contraception and protect against HIV.

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View the original article here