Episode 219: It’s Time To Build A Better Condom

Condoms are one of the best tools we have available for protecting our sexual health. However, modern condoms leave something to be desired. It is so easy to point to problems with condoms that make them difficult to use, that increase the odds of making mistakes, and that reduce sexual pleasure. Better education around condoms could reduce some of these problems, but we also need to start building better condoms! So in today’s show, we’re going to talk all about condoms, including why it seems harder than ever to get people to use them and how to best promote correct and consistent usage.

My guest is Dr. Cynthia Graham, a professor of gender studies at Indiana University and a senior scientist at the Kinsey Institute. She has been editor-in-chief of the Journal of Sex Research since 2009. Her current research focuses on male condom use, hormonal contraceptives, women’s sexuality, women’s sexual pleasure, sexual problems, and sexual health among older adults.

Some of the questions we discuss in this episode include:

• Why is it harder to get people to use condoms today than it was a few decades ago?
• What are the most common condom mistakes/errors people make?
• How can we make condom use more pleasurable?
• Why does it seem so hard to build better condoms?
• Which interventions are most effective at promoting correct and consistent condom use?

To stay connected, you can find Cynthia on Twitter.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest and by Mockup Graphics on Unsplash.