It shouldn’t really need saying, but condoms are awesome.
Using them generally means that there’s some sex-doing going on, which is generally a fun sort of a thing, and when used correctly they’re great for preventing pregnancy and helping prevent the spread of STIs.
According to a new report out of Monash university of people that have sex with men, one in the three women and one in five dudes had their partner de-condom themselves during sex.
Gif makes a good point.
And given that 75 per cent of young Australians are having condomless sex as it is (mainly partnered, but a third of whom barebacking with casual partners), it’s amazing that we’re not seeing a massive spike in sexually transmitted diseases and oh wait we are dear god how are any of us even alive?
And removing the condom during sex should fall under the umbrella of sexual assault, but it’s legally still something of a grey area. And “grey area” is not a term that should be applied to anything sexual.
A starting point would be to make it a crime in itself, because saying yes to safe sex is not remotely the same as saying yes to absorbing someone’s mysterious personal fluids.
So let’s start again: condoms are great, practical, low-risk high-effectiveness ways to prevent pregnancy and disease.
But also, if you’re the sort of a dude that is prepared to put your partner at risk for literally a couple of minutes of action which you’re already getting (and which, if you’re any good at doing the sex, should be feeling pretty spectacular in any case), then you literally have no business being up in anyone else’s business.
And be advised that men who refuse contraception are correlated with other abusive behaviours, meaning that this is a giant red flag.
Again: dudes. Be better.