Using a condom designed to increase sexual pleasure has the potential to increase protected sex and decrease sexually transmitted infections, a new study suggests.
The use of condom called CSD500 improve the firmness, size and duration of the erection
The new condom, called the CSD500 and not currently available in the United States, includes a gel designed to improve the firmness, size and duration of an erection.
The randomized, controlled study led by researchers at The Ohio State University compared CSD500 with standard condoms. And both men and women in the test condom group reported greater enjoyment.
Men in the CSD500 group also indicated much higher acceptability, reporting easier condom donning and a more natural feel. Almost 16% even said that the sex felt much better than sex without a condom. The study appears in the Journal of Sex Research.
The results suggest that condom use could be a powerful tool to prevent both the spread of infections and unwanted pregnancies. Said the study’s lead author, Maria Gallo, of the Ohio State College of Public Health.
ABOUT THE STUDY
The study, supported by the National Institutes of Health, included 500 monogamous heterosexual couples in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam. Where the use of condoms is especially important given the greater perception of the risks related to hormonal contraception, such as the pill, and the high rates of abortion.
Over the course of six months, the couples repeatedly reported their sexual satisfaction and pleasure through a seven-item questionnaire.
CSD500, manufactured by Future Medical, has been approved for over-the-counter use in more than two dozen European countries and is sold in the Netherlands and Belgium. More recently, it was approved for use in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Overcoming barriers to condom use has widespread benefits. Particularly among certain populations at higher risk for infections and unintended pregnancies, Gallo said.
“Married women account for about a third of HIV cases in Vietnam, and most were exposed to the virus through sexual activity with their husbands. Worldwide, more than 80% of HIV cases in women are due to sexual exposure with their husbands or main partners, Gallo said.
Ways need to be found to increase the power women have when it comes to negotiating condom use
Gallo and her colleagues are interested in finding ways to increase the power women have when it comes to negotiating condom use and protecting their health in a variety of relationships.
“A condom like the CSD500 could be useful for women in established relationships. Because they may have less difficulty asking their partner to use a condom for their pleasure than for pregnancy or disease prevention.”
Gallo said he might see CSD500 as being useful for men who have sex with men, because the group is at higher risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and because of the appeal of using a condom for pleasure.
“By increasing blood flow within the penis and causing a firmer erection, the use of CSD500 could allow men to become comfortable and experienced with condoms. Which allows them to overcome perceived or real performance issues.”
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