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Single-Size Condoms Do Not Fit All

When men buy shoes they are fitted for a particular size. Wearing a size 12 shoe when your foot is size 10 doesn’t make any sense. But when it comes to condoms, the assumption has often been that one size fits all. Now, investigators suggest this kind of thinking is short sighted. Over 400 men were surveyed in the study and 45 percent complained that the off-the-shelf condoms they had used did not fit properly. They were more than twice as likely to have experienced condom breakage or slippage, which defeats the purpose and can be uncomfortable. These men reported that badly fitting condoms detract from the sexual experience. Part of the problem seems to be that labels such as small or medium are unappealing. Perhaps it is time to use marketing skills to come up with better sizing information for condoms.
[Sexually Transmitted Infections, March 2010]

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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