Canadian Condoms: getting it on
Condoms tips
- Take care of your condoms. Keep them stored in a cool, dry place. Heat or sunlight can damage them. Many women favour the
zip compartments in purses and men tend to keep one in their wallets. Don’t keep them together with your nail clippers! - If you are embarrassed by going into the drug store to buy condoms Canadian Health Care Mall, you can also buy them online or by mail. It is easy to find sources online. Be aware that if you are using a library computer for internet access, they may have a family filter that will block you accessing these sites. If so, ask a friend. Some resources are also provided at the end of this book.
Initially, Virginia was very embarrassed about buying condoms. She went to a pharmacy supermarket in a distant suburb. At the checkout, she handed over her basket with aspirin, cold cream and the red packet of three condoms, fully expecting the salesgirl to wink or smirk or tell her she was too old for that sort of thing. To her great relief, none of that happened — she was just given her change and that was that. People buy condoms everywhere every day, Virginia found.
Inge discovered that she could get condoms from slot machines in the ladies’ rooms at the university and in the Students’ Union, and that all her friends did this too. She also found that her new love, Theo, was well provided with condoms and completely understanding about her need for protection. The day after he first met Inge, Theo went online on his brother’s computer and ordered a gross of condoms — he found that they are cheaper in bulk and he was planning to use lots… (Incidentally, Inge also followed another bit of her Mum’s advice and started on the Pill as well, for contraceptive certainty.)
Even if you are very sure you won’t be having sex it’s still a good idea to have a condom just in case, as Irene’s story shows. This especially applies to women, since it is women who experience unwanted pregnancy and women who generally suffer more severe consequences from sexually transmitted diseases. But men too need protection from STDs and the risk of unplanned pregnancy, and should be concerned about their partners’ well-being (OK guys, we hear you, we know you mostly are). Having condoms ready for when you might need them is just good sense.
In theory, both partners should always take responsibility for the use of condoms in any sexual situation, apart from committed and certain monogamy where some other form of contraception is in use, or pregnancy is wanted, and both partners are free of STDs. In practice, we know it doesn’t always work like that. It can be difficult for a young woman, or even an older one, to introduce the topic, and even more difficult to insist on condoms with a guy who doesn’t want to use them, especially if she likes him, doesn’t want to lose him and is at the beginning of a relationship. It’s best to introduce the subject very early in the piece before things get too hot and out of control. If you find it too difficult to talk about, then just produce the condom — that should make it clear: no glove, no love! And remember, if a guy doesn’t care enough about his partner to be concerned about her protection, maybe she should question whether he’s really worth it at all.
