Size may in
deed matter, at least when it comes to using a condom. When youths and men say
that they find condoms too small. This is often dismissed as typical male
boasting. And sometimes it is. Youths in particular like to joke about penis sizes.
But the question should be taken seriously. It is true that it would be hard to
find a penis so big that it wouldn’t fit in a condom, since condoms are so
elastic.
However, the
reverse is also true: a condom can be or may fell too small or narrow. But
length is rarely the problem; rather, it is the girth or shape of the penis or
the size of the glands. The ten facts presented here apply regardless of
whether your partner is female or male.
FACT 1: Length
A condom is generally around
18cm long. Few erect penises are longer than that. According to surveys, 75% of
males have erections measuring between 12-18cm, while 95% of males fall within
the 9-22cm range. The average length seems to be 13-15cm.
If the erect penis is longer
than the condom, this is generally not a problem. It doesn’t matter if the
condom doesn’t reach all the way ton the base of the penis. The only risk is
that the condom may slide up the shaft a little during intercourse and, in the
worst cases, slide off completely. This is more likely if the penis is fairly
narrow and the condom doesn’t sit snugly. You should take care that this
doesn’t happen.
On the other hand, things can
be a little tricky if you have a short penis. Some men find it uncomfortable if
the condom wrinkles up; they feel as if they are wearing a crackly bag rather
than a snug-fitting condom. This is rather a turn-off.one way around this
problem is to pull the condom over your balls too, so that it is anchored in place.
It takes a little practice to get this right, since the testicles slide around
inside the scrotum and getting them into the condom may be awkward. It is
therefore a good idea to try it out when you are masturbating. How easy you
find it depends too, of course, on how big and how sensitive your balls are. If
they are big, it may be hard to pull the condom all the way over them. In this case,
you could try a larger condom: one that is slightly longer and wider than
regular condoms. For most men, any condom will do the trick, but for this
purpose you should avoid using thinner condoms, which tear more easily if you
scratch them with you’re fingernails-easily done when you are stretching the
condom like this.
FACT 2: Shape
Men with a cone-shaped
penis-thicker at the base and narrower at the tip-may find that condoms are
prone to slide-off. Like men with short penis, they can solve this problem by
pulling the condom over their balls-see “fact 1: length” and “fact 8: balls”.they
can also try using condoms that are slightly smaller in width (circumference)
and a little tighter, if available.
Another way of keeping the
condom in place is to slide a cock ring onto your penis after slipping on the
condom .rings are available in rubber, leather, silicone and steel, and also rings with a Velcro fastening, rather
like a belt. Silicone rings are elastic. Some men find that a cock ring
enhances their pleasure. Rings are also used to maintain an erection or to make
it harder, since they reduce the outflow of blood from the penis. Men with
spinal injuries often use cock rings that are available in sex shops
Please note that if the cock
is really tight around your penis, effectively stopping the blood flow, you
should not wear the ring for more than 20 minutes, or it may cause tissue
damage.
Some men have a penis that is
slightly curved or more visibly bent upward, downward or to one side. This
makes no difference to condom use. However, if your penis is angled downward,
you may find putting on the condom a little awkward, since you have to start
unrolling it from below instead of from above. This means the penis can easily
slip way when you try to unroll the condom, but usually all it takes is a
little practice.
FACT 3: Large
glans
Men with a large glans
sometimes have difficulty putting on a condom, because the rubber ring on the
condom is just too small to pull over the glans. In this case, it may help if
you unroll the condom a couple of turns(but no more),insert your fingers and
stretch the rubber ring, hold it in the stretched position and then pull the
condom over the glans, rather like pulling on a hat. After this, unroll the
condom down the shaft as usual .take care when inserting your fingers into the
condom to make sure your nails don’t damage it.
FACT 4: Girth
(circumference)
Circumference is a more
technical term for girth. The circumference of an erect penis is generally
8-12cm, with an average of 10cm.when the penis is flaccid, its circumference is
usually 6-10cm with an average of 8 cm the circumference is measured with a
tape measure around the base of the penis. Girth-wise, or any condom will fit.
Condoms are elastic enough to fit a thick penis.
However, some men find the
fit too tight and experience an uncomfortable or even painfully pressing sensation.
You can alleviate this by putting a few drops of lubricant on the condom before
putting it on, so that your penis slides in easily. But be carefully; if you
use too much lubricant, there is a risk the condom could slide off. A cock ring
can help in this case. Condoms with larger circumference are often available.
FACT 5:
Erection-Hardness varies
As most people know, an
erection is necessary before you can put on a condom. So there is really not
much more to be said about that. But it’s another story if you don’t have a
hard-on.
Most youths and men have
experienced the situation where they lose their erection during the process of
taking out, opening and putting on a condom. This may be because they are nervous
about interrupting the proceedings .or because they have suddenly been diverted
from the exciting sexual experience to deal with a practical detail: putting on
the condom.
The now very tangible focus
on the male genitals may also be stressful. The erection-with the accompanying
pleasure and arousal-is so obvious and cannot be concealed or disguised as
intimacy or romance. When your erection is so evident, you may feel naked in an
emotional sense as well. For some men, especially younger ones, this obvious
pleasure or arousal may be embarrassing.
Sometimes the erection
subsides so much that it is difficult or impossible to put on the condom or
have sexual intercourse. The more you can associate condoms with pleasure, the
easier it is likely to be to use them. One way of encouraging condom use is for
the man to let himself be a sex object, to allow himself to enjoy receiving
pleasure from his partner, rather than focusing too much on full intercourse
(penetration)Being aware of your own pleasure and knowing you own genitals
probably makes it easier to use a condom.
If you acknowledge that most
youths and me experience varying degrees of hardness during sex, you may be
less nervous if you erection subsides for a while. You will know that you are
likely to become hard again. If you are confident in yourself and your penis,
and not ashamed of your own pleasure, it is easier to put on a condom-with the obvious focus on the penis
that this entails. Although being with a partner is a different situation, it
is a good idea to practice putting on a condom when you are masturbating and
not on the practicing while with a partner as one mistake one goal.
