We Should Have a Better Condom by Now. Here’s Why We Don’t.

While the author seems to be all over the place, I think one of the points that should have been covered are regulations concerning how size is advertised by condom companies a little bit more. In European markets, the size of the condoms in terms of nominal width is clearly displayed on all condoms (from what I understand) while here in the states you get non descriptive sizes such as regular, large, and extra large. For someone to discover which size is truly for them, they have to research each condom to find out what size they really are, and do the math themselves to figure out what size is right for them.

The nominal width is the most important part of the fit since it will determine the amount the latex is stretching and thus the chance of the condom breaking, as well as the level of comfort for the wearer. With non exact size names we get situations where the trojan regular, and the trojan magnum, and magnum xl are nearly all the same nominal width at the base with regular being 52mm and magnum and xl being 54mm. The only noticeable difference is that the head of the larger condoms is bigger, which is more comfortable for men with a larger head, but doesn't address the issue of tightness at the base. The Magnum condom is often thought of as a "large" condom due to marketing, when in reality it was made to fit the average user, thus making it the number one selling condom of course. On top of this, many condom companies advertise a condom being "larger" because it has a longer length, even though most regular sized condoms are already 7 inches in length which covers a vast vast majority of the population. Having an 8 inch length will cover 99% of all men, but even a man half that length could safely wear that condom if the width is correct.

I feel like many men aren't wearing proper sized condoms and its either causing breakage, or discomfort that discourages use. http://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/are-you-wearing-the-wrong-size-condom (not sure if this is the best source but I can't find much) With a regulation requiring clear labeling of the size of each condom right on the box, it could clear up a lot of confusion and make shopping easier. The information itself isn't even available on the manufacturers website for most companies.

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