1. 콘돔이란?
콘돔은 섹스 중 성기에 착용하는 얇은 라텍스 조각이에요. 라텍스가 가장 일반적인 재료이지만 양가죽과 같은 다른 재료도 있어요. (양가죽 콘돔은 성병을 막지 못해요!)
콘돔을 사용하고 있어도 정기적으로 성병 검사를 받는 것은 매우 중요해요. 섹스 파트너가 바뀔 때마다 한번씩 검사를 받는 것이 좋답니다. 많은 사람들이 성병의 증상이 나타난 적이 없으면 자신에게 성병이
없을 것이라고 생각하는데, 그건 위험한 생각이에요. 수 년 동안 증상이 나타나지 않거나 평생 동안 증상이 나타나지 않는 여러 가지 성병이 있거든요.
보통 사람들은 섹스 전에 파트너와 성병에 대해 얘기하지 않으려고 해요. 분위기를 망칠까봐, 혹은 상대방을 의심하는 것처럼 보일까봐 걱정하기 때문이죠. 그래서 많은 사람들은 상대방이 깨끗하기를 그저 바랄
뿐, 섹스는 그냥 해요.
하지만 자신의 성병에 대해 모르고 있거나 파트너에게 자신의 상태를 숨기는 것은 드문 일이 아니에요. 그러니까 어떤 경우라도 섹스를 하기 전에는 파트너에게 성병에 대해 물어보고 확인해야해요. 파트너에게
증거를 보여달라고 하는 것도 절대 무리가 아니랍니다. 요즘 같은 시대에 증거를 보여주지 않거나 테스트를 받지 않겠다고 할 이유가 없어요.(파트너에게 보여주기 위해 결과에 대해 디지털으로나 물리적인
복사본을 받을 수 있어요.) 만약 파트너가 이런 문제에 대해 당신과 얘기하는 것을 꺼려한다면 그 사람과는 섹스하지 마세요.
콘돔에는 2가지 타입이 있어요. 외부(남성)콘돔과 내부(여성)콘돔. 외부 콘돔이 일반적으로 생각하는 타입의 콘돔이고, 한국에서 구할 수 있는 유일한 콘돔 타입이에요. 온라인에서 내부 콘돔을 구매할 수는
있지만 이번 글에서는 외부 콘돔에 대해서만 다룰게요.
2. 어떻게 사용하나요?
섹스 전
콘돔이 찢어지지 않도록 포장지에서 조심스럽게 꺼내 주세요.(콘돔은 가운데 놓여있으니까 가장자리를 뜯는 것이 가장 좋아요) 발기된 음경의 끝에 콘돔을 놓고 음경의 자루 부분으로 콘돔을 굴리듯이 내려주세요.
이때 콘돔의 "머리" 부분을 같이 꼬집어 돌려줘야해요. 콘돔을 올바른 자리에 놓는 것이 중요해요. 콘돔의 가장자리가 바깥쪽으로 말려있어서 음경 기둥을 따라 아래쪽으로 콘돔을 쉽게 펼칠
수 있어야해요. 펼치는 게 어렵다면 콘돔이 뒤집혀 있을 가능성이 높아요. 그리고, 정액이 들어갈 공간을 만들기 위해 콘돔의 끝을 꼭 꼬집어 공기를 빼주어야 해요. 만약에 콘돔 안에 공기가 너무 많다면
정액이 섹스 도중에 넘칠 수 있답니다.
콘돔과 살정제를 함께 사용하면 안전성을 높일 수 있어요. 좌약 형태의 살정제는 섹스 30분전에 질에 직접 삽입하면 돼요. 자세한 내용은
비호르몬 피임법의 살정제 섹션을 참고하세요.
섹스 중
콘돔을 재사용하는 것은 불가능해요. 만약 다른 성교 행위로 전환하는 경우에는 성교마다 항상 다른 콘돔을 사용해야 하죠. (예를 들어, 한번의 섹스에서 구강 성교 다음 질 성교를 한다면 각 성교에 맞는
두가지 다른 콘돔이 필요해요) 특히 항문 성교에서 질 성교로 전환하는 경우에는 콘돔을 바꾸는 것이 필수랍니다. 항문에 있는 박테리아가 질에서 감염을 일으키는 원인이 될 수 있기 때문이죠.
섹스 후
음경이 아직 파트너 안에서 발기 되어 있을 때, 테두리를 잡고 조심스럽게 빼세요. 음경이 아직 파트너의 생식기에 닿아 있는 동안에는 정액이 빠져 나오지 않도록 잘 잡고 있어야해요. 그런 다음, 콘돔을
묶어서 쓰레기통에 버리세요. (화장실 변기에 버리지 마세요!)
일반적인 팁
한 번에 두 개 이상의 콘돔을 사용하지 마세요. 어떤 사람들은 2개의 콘돔을 사용하면 두 배로 보호할 수 있다고 생각해요. 하지만 실제로는 여러 개의 콘돔을 한번에 사용하면 콘돔 사이의 마찰이 일어나
찢어지는 경우가 생길 수 있어서 오히려 효과가 감소하게 된답니다.
콘돔을 올바르게 보관하는 것도 중요해요. 콘돔은 서랍이나 캐비닛과 같이 온도가 제어되는 환경에서 직사광선을 피해 보관해야 해요. 그러나 화장실처럼 습기가 많은 곳은 안돼요. 또, 많은 사람들이 필요할 때
쉽게 사용할 수 있도록 지갑, 주머니, 자동차 등에 콘돔을 보관하는데, 이런 장소에서 오랜 시간 보관하는 것은 임신이나 성병을 방지하는 콘돔의 효과를 떨어뜨릴 수 있어요. 콘돔을 보관하기에 가장 좋은
방법은 집안의 안전한 곳에 두는 것이랍니다. 만약 집에서 멀리 있는 곳에서 섹스하게 될 때에는, 섹스 직전에 새 콘돔을 사는 것이 좋아요.
그리고 콘돔을 사용하기 전에는 항상 유효기간을 확인해야 해요. 또한 부드럽게 비틀어 보면서 구멍이나 찢어진 곳이 없고 밀봉된 포장지 안에 공기가 있는 온전한 상태인지 체크하세요. 오랫동안 직사광선, 열,
유성 기름, 로션, 윤활제에 노출되었다거나 등등 다른 수많은 이유에 의해 콘돔이 찢어질 수 있어요. 만약에 콘돔과 함께 윤활제를 사용하려면 수용성 성분이나 실리콘으로 만들어진 윤활제만 사용해야
해요.
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85~98% effective at preventing pregnancy
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Use whenever engaging in sex (oral, vaginal, anal)
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helps prevent STI & STDs
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helps prevent pregnancy
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available in Korea
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No prescription needed
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Prescription
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Invasive (requires medical procedure by doctor)
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1. What is it?
A condom is a thin piece of latex that is worn on the penis during sexual
intercourse. While latex is the most common material used, there are other materials
available as well, such as lamb skin (please note that lambskin condoms do NOT
protect against STDs!).
It is extremely important to regularly get yourself tested for STDs, even if you
always use condoms. It is recommended to get tested once between every sexual
partner. Many people think that because they don't have any symptoms of an STD,
they must not have one. However, this is a dangerous misconception! There are many
STDs that do not show symptoms for years, or may never show symptoms.
Many people run into the issue of not discussing their STD status with their partner
before sex, for fear of "ruining the mood" or insinuating that they think
that person has an STD. So, many people choose to just hope their partner is clean
and decide to have sex.
However, it is not uncommon for people to hide their status from their partner or
simply not realize they have an STD. So, make sure to ask your partner their status
before any sexual activity. It is not unreasonable to ask your partner to show you
proof, as well. In this day and age, there is no excuse for not getting tested or not
being able to show proof (you can get a digital or physical copy of your results to
show your partner). If your partner is uncomfortable discussing their status with
you, they're not someone you should be having sex with.
There are technically 2 types of condoms: external ("male") condoms, and
internal ("female") condoms. However, external condoms are the most common
type of condom, and the only kind available in South Korea. It is possible to buy
internal condoms online, but we will only be discussing external condoms here.
2. How does it work?
Before Sex
Make sure to open the condom wrapper carefully so that the condom does not tear in
the process (it is best to open on one of the sides, not right in the middle of where
the condom is). Place the condom on the tip of an erect penis and roll the condom
down the entire shaft of the penis, while pinching the "hat" tip of the
condom. It is important that you put the condom on the right side out. It should be
that the rim of the condom is on the outside so that you can easily roll the condom
down the shaft of the penis. If it is difficult to unroll, it is probably inside-out.
You should pinch the tip of the condom in order to ensure there will be space for
semen to collect. If there is too much air in the condom, the semen can be pushed
outside of the condom during sex.
You can use a condom with spermicide for extra protection. You can insert the
suppository spermicide directly into the vagina 30 minutes before intercourse. Check
out the section on Spermicide in Non-hormonal
Contraceptives to
find out more.
During Sex
It is not possible to reuse condoms. Always use a new condom, even when switching
between sex acts (for example, if in one session you have oral sex and then vaginal
sex, you should use 2 different condoms for each type of intercourse). It is
especially important to change condoms when going from anal sex to vaginal sex, as
the passing of bacteria from the anus to the vagina can cause infection in the
vagina.
After Sex
While your penis is still erect and inside of your partner, hold onto the rim of the
condom as you carefully pull out. You must hold the condom in place and do this while
still erect to keep any semen from leaving the condom and possibly coming into
contact with your partner's genitals. Then, tie the condom shut and throw it away
into the trash (never into the toilet!).
General Tips
Never use more than one condom at a time. Some people think that using 2 condoms
would be like using twice the protection. In reality, using multiple condoms actually
decreases their effectiveness. This is because the friction between multiple condoms
can cause tearing.
It is important to know how to properly store your condoms. Condoms should be stored
away from sunlight, in a temperature-controlled environment like a drawer or cabinet.
However, do not keep condoms in your bathroom or any other place that can get humid.
Make sure to not keep condoms in your wallet, pocket, car, etc. Many people keep
condoms in these places because they want easy access to protection. Unfortunately,
keeping a condom in places like these for longer than a number of hours can render
the condom ineffective at preventing pregnancy or the spread of STDs. The best thing
to do is to keep condoms somewhere safe at home. If you expect to have sex away from
your home, buy new condoms right before you have sex.
Make sure to always check the expiration date of any condom before you use it,
regardless of how recently you bought it. Also, ensure that the packaging is intact
by looking for any holes or rips; a sealed wrapper should have air in it, which you
can check by gently squeezing it. You should also check for tears in the condom
itself. Tears in condoms can be caused by a number of different things, like: too
much exposure to sunlight, heat, or oil-based oils/lotions/lubricants. If you want to
use lubrication with a condom, only use water or silicone-based products.
3. What do I do if the condom breaks?
If you notice a tear in the condom during sex, do not panic, but immediately stop
having sex. There are many kinds of
emergency contraceptives that you can take after
this, which you can find at the end of this article. Emergency contraceptives are not
a form of abortion, but work to prevent impregnation from occurring. At the time of
writing this piece, abortion will be legalized in South Korea in 2020, and is legal
in many countries nearby.
If you do not know the STD status of your partner, immediately schedule an
appointment to get tested and do not have unprotected sex before knowing your current
status. A tear in a condom can lead to unwanted pregnancy as well as the spread of
STDs. It is always best to address the situation immediately, as waiting can only
worsen your own anxiety as well as the raise chances of pregnancy and leave possible
STDs untreated.
4. When can I use it?
You can use condoms anytime you have sex. When you are not pregnant, condoms protect
against pregnancy and STDs. When you are pregnant, condoms protect against STDs.
5. Positives
Condoms are affordable, common, and easy to find in convenience stores, pharmacies,
online, etc. There are so many different brands and types of condoms, so you are
bound to find one that works well for you.
6. Drawbacks
Condoms are not biodegradable, and so they are not eco-friendly. However, some people
argue that in the long-run condoms are good for the environment because they protect
against pregnancy, and humans are the number 1 threat to the environment.
Another potential drawback is that some men report that their sensitivity during
sexual intercourse is lessened by the barrier that a condom provides. This is a small
price to pay for all the benefits that condoms provide.
7. Safety
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In terms of safety, condoms can be dangerous to someone who has an allergy to
the ingredients used in the condom, like latex.
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It is still possible to pass an STD while using a condom, though very
unlikely. Condoms are the only thing that protect against STDs, so always use
them if this is a concern. Make sure to use condoms correctly in order to
better protect yourself and your partner.
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It is also possible to misuse a condom, which can lead to pregnancy or the
spread of STDs. This can happen if a condom falls off, tears, or leaks during
sex.
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Unfortunately, there have also been cases of men secretly removing the condom
during sex without their partner's knowledge. This is a type of sexual
assault and should be reported to the police.
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This birth control does not cause permanent infertility.
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Fast Facts: Things that can cause a condom to become ineffective
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Too much exposure to heat or sunlight
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Tearing when opening the condom wrapper
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Too much friction + a lack of lubrication
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Using oil-based lubrication/oils with the condom
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Improperly removing the penis from the vagina
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- 대한민국 약학정보원 (http://www.health.kr)
- 질병관리본부 결핵·에이즈관리과(2018), 성매개감염병 관리지침
- https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control
- https://www.contraceptioninfo.eu/contraceptives
- https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/family-planning-contraception
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