Condoms

GET IT ON! Using a condom helps prevent the spread of chlamydia and other STIs. FREE condoms are available from the MIddlesex-London Health Unit, student health services at Western University and Fanshawe College, and on most floors at student residence.

How it works

The external condom is a soft cover made from latex or polyurethane (a thin, non-latex plastic) that fits over the erect penis to prevent the exchange of body fluids. It can be used for vaginal, anal or oral sex.

• Fits over the erect penis
• Prevents direct contact between the penis and the vagina, anus or mouth
• Traps the sperm in the condom so it cannot fertilize the egg
• Reduces but does not eliminate the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Advantages

• Free at your local public health unit or from the Middlesex-London Health Unit.
• Free from student health services at Western University and Fanshawe College, and on most floors at student residence.
• Available without a prescription
• Costs less money than other birth control methods
• No hormones
• Available in different shapes, colours, and flavors
• Condoms help prevent the spread of chlamydia and other STIs
• Only birth control method for the male partner
• May help to prevent early ejaculation

Considerations

• Must be available at the time of sex
• Must be stored in a cool dry place and handled properly
• Requires high motivation to use it correctly each time you have sex
• May slip or break during sex
• Condoms expire
• May reduce sensitivity for either partner
• Lambskin condoms and condoms labelled for novelty use are not recommended
• The use of a water based lube can reduce friction during vaginal and anal sex and reduces the risk of a condom breaking

How to use a condom

• Check expiry date
• Pinch the tip of the condom to create a space to collect semen and roll the condom down the entire shaft of the penis. If uncircumcised, pull back the foreskin.
• Use water based lube only (the more slippery the condom the less likely it is to break or come off during sex)
• Soon after ejaculation (cumming) hold the condom at the base so it won’t slip off and pull out holding onto the base of the penis and the condom
• Throw the condom in the garbage, not the toilet
• Remember to use a new condom if switching from one sex act to another (i.e. from oral to vaginal sex) regardless of ejaculation

OHIP+

Starting April 1, 2019, the government is focusing OHIP+ benefits on children and youth who do not have a private plan. Children and youth 24 years of age and under who are OHIP-insured, but who do not have a private plan, will continue to receive coverage for eligible prescription medications through OHIP+.
Learn more →

More Information

For more information, please call The Clinic at 519-663-5317.