February is National Condom Month!
Condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are a vital part of reducing the risk of STD and HIV transmission. Currently there are a few types of barrier methods that are commonly used: the external (“male”) condom, the internal (“female”) condom, and dental dams. As mentioned above, condoms are not just a way to reduce unintended pregnancy, they also provide a level of protection against STDs that are transmitted by genital fluids, such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and HIV. According to the CDC, latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barriers to particles the size of STD pathogens [1]. To highlight the impact condoms have on transmission rates, data presented at the 2018 International AIDS Conference (Amsterdam, Netherlands) shows that promotion of condoms has prevented an estimated 50 million new HIV infections…