34% Of Men Are Still Making This Big Mistake In Bᴇd
While c0nd0ms are among the best forms of ₴₮Đ ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ and ʙɪʀᴛʜ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟ out there, only about one-third of guys are consistently using c0nd0ms, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC collected data through in-person interviews from more 9,321 guys aged 15 to 44 from September 2011 to September 2015. They found that only about one-third of men had used a c0nd0m during the last time they had sᴇx in the past year. The crazy part? That’s actually an increase from 2002, when only 30 percent of guys were using a ʀᴜʙʙᴇʀ.
Though it’s great to see more men using protection, 33 percent is still low—too low. Unfortunately, it’s not entirely shocking information, since according to a recent (unscientific) survey, 65 percent of Americans have had unprotected sᴇx.
Here’s why skipping the glove is a huge issue: ₴₮Đ rates have hit an all-time high, but using a c0nd0m correctly is among the best ways to protect you (and your partner) from transmission of diseases like ɢᴏɴᴏʀʀʜᴇᴀ and ᴄʜʟᴀᴍʏᴅɪᴀ, which often show no noticeable symptoms, according to the CDC. (Here are four ₴₮Đs you might already have.)
In addition, using a c0nd0m correctly can help prevent ᴜɴɪɴᴛᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄɪᴇs.
Yet only 19 percent of men reported using a c0nd0m every time they had sᴇx in the past year, while nearly 50 percent reported never using a c0nd0m during sᴇx in the past year, according to the CDC report. (Here’s why “pulling out” can be a risky form of birth control.)
To be fair, this data only focused on overall c0nd0m use, and didn’t account for people who were in monogamous relationships, using other ғᴏʀᴍs ᴏғ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴇᴘᴛɪᴏɴ, or actually trying to have kids. But even so, when you break the numbers down by age, only 53 percent of guys aged 15 to 19 were using a c0nd0m every time they had sᴇx. That number dipped to about 10 percent for men aged 35 to 44.
Bottom line:
If you never wear a ⱤɄ฿฿ɆⱤ—and you’re not trying to get your partner pregnant and haven’t been tested for ₴₮Đ₴— remember that you’re putting your health (and your partner’s health) at risk.
If you’re currently having ᴄᴀsᴜᴀʟ sᴇx with several different people, using a c0nd0m is your best bet until you feel comfortable with a single partner, according to Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., a s^x researcher at Indiana University’s Kinsey Institute. Once you’re committed and you both have been tested, talk to your partner about possibly looking into other forms of ʙɪʀᴛʜ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟ.
Until you know for sure, finding a c0nd0m you like (and using a little ʟᴜʙᴇ—we like this one from the Men’s Health store) can help make safe s-x feel a heck of a lot better.
