© Daniel Hérard
Préservatifs masculins
Préservatif masculin
Patrick Sheandell O'Carrol / © PhotoAlto
AIDES Ile-de-France - Présentation du préservatif féminin
Daniel Hérard / © Daniel Hérard
AIDES Bayonne - Présentation du préservatif féminin
Daniel Hérard / © Daniel Hérard
Préservatifs masculins Means of protection
Male condom
Try many condoms to find the one which suits you best. There are condoms of different sizes and for all tastes (flavoured, hypoallergenic, latex-free, etc.).
Using a water-based lubricant (or gel) is recommended. It provides more comfort during the intercourse, avoids irritation, eases friction and, most of all, considerably reduces risks of condom breakage.
Lubricant can be found in pharmacies, drugstores and supermarkets. Never use fatty or oily products like butter, suntan products, Vaseline or various creams: they damage condoms, increase risks of breakage, and make them porous, thus ineffective.
How to use a male condom?
• Open the packaging on a side, taking care not to tear the condom.• Put on the erect penis, taking care to press the air out from the tip
• Unroll down to the base of the penis.
• Put lubricant gel if needed.
• Withdraw before the erection is over.
• Make a knot and throw it in a bin.
Female condom
A female condom (e.g. a Femidom) is a broad flexible sheath of polyurethane with a flexible ring at each end (see picture).
It is inserted into the vagina and it covers its wall.
The advantage of the female condom is that it can be put in place many hours before sexual intercourse. However, it must only be used once: the condom must be changed with each new partner.
You can buy it in pharmacies or get it for free from associations fighting Aids, including AIDES, some CDAGs (Centres de Dépistage Anonyme et Gratuit – Free Anonymous Testing Centres) and family planning clinics.
How to use a female condom (Femidom) ?
• Rub the condom so the lubricant is evenly spread.• Take the ring and squeeze it to form an "8".
• Insert the condom into the vagina, as far as possible.
• Push it up, taking care not to twist the condom.
• At the time of penetration, guide the male organ into the condom.
For biological reasons, relating to the body and how it works, women have more risks of being contaminated by the Aids virus than men during an unprotected sexual intercourse.
How to make a latex square?
A male condom can be cut along the length, a piece of transparent food wrapping can be used, or a dental dam can be bought in a pharmacy.
