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How to Use a Male Condom
(as demonstrated on a banana)

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1. Use a new condom every time you have sex—before the penis gets anywhere near any body opening.

Women can get pregnant from pre-ejaculate fluid (pre-cum), and both men and women can get STDs from skin-to-skin contact. Check the condom’s expiration date and open the package carefully, since teeth or fingernails can tear the latex. Put the condom on as soon as the penis gets hard. If the penis is uncircumsized, pull back foreskin.

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2. Make sure the rolled-up ring is on the outside. Handling the condom gently, pinch the tip so no air is trapped inside, and allow room for semen if you come.

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3. Hold the tip while you unroll the condom all the way to the base of the penis.
If it doesn’t unroll, it’s on backwards. Throw the condom away and start over with a new one. Make sure that it fits and isn’t loose. Experiment with different brands to get the right size.

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4. You’re ready.

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5. After sex: Pull out slowly while you’re still hard. Hold the base of the condom to avoid spilling semen.
Dispose of it properly. Don’t flush it down the toilet.

Condom Tips

• If a condom fails, both partners should wash their genitals with soap and water and urinate. Quickly applying a spermicide may also help.
• Even if you do it right, the condom can break. To avoid tears, use a water-based lubricant or a pre-lubricated condom. Do not use oil-based lubricants like cooking oil, baby oil, lotion or petroleum jelly—they’ll cause the condom to break.
• Extra-strength condoms are recommended for anal sex.
• Many condom packages print information about how to use a condom on the inside of the box. Open the package without too much
ripping so you can carefully read the instructions and warnings.
• Condoms should be stored in a cool, dry place (not in wallets.) Heat, light, pressure and air pollution can damage them.


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About our books
Stories from Represent have been anthologized in several books by Youth Communication. The Heart Knows Something Different (Persea Books, 1996) is a collection of personal essays first published in FCYU; in addition, The Struggle to Be Strong: True Stories By Teens About Resilience (Free Spirit, 2000), Things Get Hectic: Teens Write About the Violence That Surrounds Them (Simon & Schuster, 1998) and Out With It: Gay and Straight Teens Write About Homosexuality (Youth Communication, 1996) feature stories from Represent, as well as from New Youth Connections (NYC), our other teen-written magazine.
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