Condoms can be complicated. They’re one of your best defenses against sexually transmitted diseases, but sometimes fit issues can make them break, slip and slide, sit too snug, and often make sex feel a lot less awesome than it is.
But now, one Boston-based company, myONE Perfect Fit, is trying to change that. They’ve developed condoms in 60 different sizes, 10 lengths ranging from 4.9 to 9.4 inches, and nine circumferences from 3.9 to 4.5 inches, the New York Times reports.
That’s a pretty big deal, since roughly 1 in 10 people say condom fit was a problem during the last time they used one, according to a study published in The Journal of Primary Prevention.
Why the sizing issues? One issue may be that a majority of guys have shorter penises—an average of 5.57 inches when erect—than the average condom length, according to a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Until recently, condoms were required to be 6.69 inches long.
That could potentially explain why not enough guys are wrapping it up. In fact, only 33 percent of men said they used a condom during the last time they had sex in the past year, according to recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s a huge risk, since STD rates have hit an all-time high, and correctly using condoms can help prevent unintended pregnancies.
Those issues are one big reason myONE Perfect Fit went through rigorous testing to create custom-fit condoms.
“We worked with the FDA, researchers, and the [American Society for Testing and Materials] over the past few years to prove that the current range of sizes just wasn’t enough for a majority of condom users. We view this as a public health risk—if condoms are improperly sized or uncomfortable, people avoid using them,” their website states.
The response to their custom range speaks for itself. After just one hour of their launch, all 60 sizes had been ordered, the company’s president Davin Wedel told the New York Times.
Here’s how it works: Download and print the company’s “FitKit,” which will walk you through the process of measuring your erect length and width. This will give you a customized size code.
Seems simple enough, but is it worth the extra effort? If you don’t really have any issues with condoms in general, you many not feel like they’re necessary. But if you can never find a glove that fits right, and your sex life suffers because of it, you many notice an improvement in the feeling and lack of slippage.
“My previous condoms had often felt too tight, which meant that I lost sensation or they were even painful to wear if I didn’t roll them on just right. Being able to measure myself and order some to match my width has been great,” according to one review on the company’s site.
But according to sex researcher Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., condom education and tips can go a long way, too, she told the NYT.
So, give them a chance if you’re curious—but if you don’t have issues with the mainstream options available, finding a brand you like (we recommend these ultra-thin, pre-lubricated LELO Hex condoms from the Men’s Health store) and using a great lube may be just what you need to make sex feel that much better.
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