"Three years ago, Sarah, 31, was on a first date with a guy from a dating app. Twenty minutes into making out, he told her he didn't have a condom but would still love to hook up. "Whatever you're comfortable with," he said. She always used protection, but felt swept away in the heat of the moment. "I was like, sure, it's fine," she says."
"The next morning, she woke up anxious. "I could've gotten an STI from that. I didn't know him, I didn't trust him," she says. She also felt resentful over what could've been an otherwise fun night because if he hadn't waited until the last minute to tell her, she might have made a different choice. That experience - combined with a mild latex allergy she discovered in her late 20s - prompted her to start carrying her own. Sarah's just one of many Gen Z and millennial women who are taking control of how they have sex by carrying condoms instead of relying on partners to have them."
"Recently, there's been online chatter about condoms "killing the mood," with one influencer claiming they're like a "rubber ducky entering" your body. Unfortunately, a concerning number of people are on the same wavelength. "Gen Z is far less likely to use condoms, particularly Gen Z men as compared to Gen Z women," says Greg Millett, vice president and director of public policy at amfAR, an AIDS research organization."
"The thing is, when used correctly, condoms are a 90% effective way to prevent STIs, a 98% effective way to prevent unplanned pregnancy, and the only method of contraception that can do both. Like your skin care routine or weekly therapy sessions, putting your sexual wellness first is just another kind of self-care. Take it from the women with fun sex lives who carry and use condoms on the reg - protecting yourself is actually really hot."
A 31-year-old woman had unprotected sex on a first date and later worried about possible STIs and mistrust. A mild latex allergy and that experience prompted her to start carrying condoms. Increasing numbers of Gen Z and millennial women now carry condoms instead of relying on partners to have them. Online chatter claims condoms "kill the mood," and some influencers demean condom use. Gen Z men appear less likely to use condoms than Gen Z women. Condoms, when used correctly, are about 90% effective at preventing STIs and 98% effective at preventing unplanned pregnancy.
Read at Bustle
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