Condoms aren't causing erection problems as much as everyone thinks they are

August 23, 2015  22:10

Sorry dudes - Having to wear a condom probably isn’t the main source of your bedroom woes, a new study suggests.

Surveying 479 straight men between the ages of 18 to 24, the authors of a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that men who reported having trouble maintaining an erection while using a condom were also likely to have “generalized erectile difficulties” when a condom wasn’t around. 

The men were asked about their general erectile function. Around 38 percent had absolutely no problems performing with a little latex attached to them. About 14 percent reported having occasional trouble putting a condom on, about 16 percent had condom-related issues while in the middle of intercourse, and around 32 percent reported performance lag during both time periods.

Because these issues often happened without a condom in the mix, though, the authors believe that their difficulties are likely more related to preexisting hang-ups or simple inexperience with condom use than to the condom’s design specifically.

While it might be a bummer to lose that convenient scapegoat, the authors believe that their findings can encourage men to get to the root of their problem. They specifically recommend that doctors who encounter male patients reporting condom-related issues could offer them education on how to properly use a condom or further referrals to counseling services.

As Medical Daily has previously reported, it’s not the first time that a popular myth about condoms has been busted. In 2013, a survey of men and women, also published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, found that they rated safe sex as “highly arousing and pleasurable” as sex without a condom.

For those still worried about latex stifling their performance, the researchers noted that an earlier study found those who did have condom-related problems were almost always able to recover within the first minute of sex.

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