Reply #93: heard same thing 'bout female/male condoms.

[NuttyFluffers]

what my health professor said was it was more of a condition of slippage. female condoms are pretty large and tend to have a significant portion that protrudes from/overlaps the vulva area. whereas male condoms, why they can be used improperly as well just as anything, tend to have a more snug fit and less of a chance of slippage which could occasion riskier contact. but it really is more of an issue for raucous, hanging from the rafters, repeated full penetration/full withdrawal sex. sort of logical if you think about the mechanics of it. if it was a comment about female/male condoms outside of that difference though, i wouldn't know.

oh, last difference. unless there's a brand i don't know about, (almost?) all female condoms are polyurethane. since most studies about STD transmission has been on latex there's some lingering questions about polyurethane. note how in this article:

(in reference to male polyurethane condoms)
Polyurethane condoms have not been studied for their effectiveness in the prevention of STD transmission.3

(in reference to female condoms)
Laboratory studies have shown Reality® to be an effective barrier to microorganisms including HIV and including a bacteriophage smaller than hepatitis B, the smallest virus known to cause an STD.

(website)
http://www.siecus.org/pubs/fact/fact0011.html

so polyurethane *should* be as effective. yet within the same article there's still open questions. that's the only other possible case i can think of.