Sue's Sex FAQ

Birth Control

Sex FAQs provided by Sue Johanson of the Sunday Night Sex Show.

Q. Is it possible to be allergic to condoms? Whenever my husband uses one I wind up with the symptoms of a yeast infection. If it is an allergic reaction, would it be the latex in condoms or the spermicide? Are there products that would be safe for me?

A.Yes, it is very possible to be allergic to Latex. Do you break out in an itchy oozy rash on your hands if you use latex gloves, or around your mouth if you blow up balloons? These too are latex and would cause an allergic reaction.

Check the lubricant used on your condoms. If it contains the spermicide Nonoxynol 9, (N 9.) then you could well be allergic to that. The reaction would be sore, raw, red, swollen, irritated genital area possible a clear serous discharge. Usually, the allergic reaction would not resemble a yeast type reaction - thick white odourless vaginal discharge that is itchy and burns.

To confuse the situation, some women experience a flare-up of yeast just before or just after their period or whenever they have sex.

By a process of elimination, you should be able to pinpoint the cause:

  • Buy and use non-lubricated condoms and apply a few drops of your own lubricant inside and outside the condom before you roll it on. No reaction would confirm an allergy to N9.
  • During manufacture, there are small flakes of latex left in and around the condom. Some people find if they unroll a new condom, wash and pat dry then re-roll the new condom, they remove the excess latex and they are fine.
  • Go to your drug store or Sex Shoppe and purchase a package of three Polyurethane condoms. The brand name is AVANTI. They are expensive but are non-allergenic.
  • Instead of using the male condom, try the female condom, which is also polyurethane and will not trigger a reaction.
  • If in spite of these precautions you still get a yeast reaction, then it is neither the condoms nor the Nonoxynel 9, so you will need to find a way of controlling future yeast overgrowth. Do check with your doctor.

Q. I can't put my condom on right. When I roll it back it is stopping halfway down the penis.

A. Take a look at the condom. Make sure the rim is rolled up. If the rim is rolled down, it will only go so far and then may tear. Whenever you are going to masturbate do it with a condom, roll it right down to the base of your penis and then you will get more comfortable. It won't slip off. Go to the drugstore. Buy a 12-pack of condoms and try them out. Practice makes perfect.

Q. I can't seem to keep my erection when I am wearing a condom. Why does this happen?

A. As a kid you were told condoms are gross. You are not used to using a condom as a protection against sexually transmitted diseases, so they feel foreign. But condom use is a survival skill for the new sexuality. This is not a choice, so get used to it. Here's how to get over it. When you masturbate from now on, use a condom. If you can't get a rigid erection, don't worry, your body will soon decide, "Guess it's a condom or abstinence," and eventually it will resign itself to condom use, every time - all the time. You can do it if you have to do it.

Q. When I put on a condom I lost my erection right away. Why?

A. You are not going to like this. No more intercourse for now, but you can masturbate. That is the only outlet you can have. Every time you masturbate you are going to use a condom. You will get an erection, then put on the condom. You will flop. You think…forget that. So you are horny the next night because you didn't ejaculate last night, so you put on a condom and it may go limp again. Eventually your body is going to get used to the feel of a condom and you will be able to ejaculate even with a condom on. You will get used to the condom and you will be just fine. And guess what? You will be able to "last longer!"

Q. Is the birth control patch available for commercial use in Canada and is it as effective as the commercial claims?

A. No and yes. The "EVRA" patch is not available in Canada until at least 2004. It is very popular in the USA. Never put the patch on your breasts. Apparently, they are as safe as the birth control pill; in fact, they think they are safer because the patch absorbs the hormones thorough the skin into the blood supply but it does not go through the liver. Therefore, there is less risk with liver complications. You put a new patch on each week and then you start all over again. Sometimes there is an allergic reaction to them as you put them in different areas of your body but they work.

Back to Sue's Faq