Want to kink up your sex life with flavoured condoms? Well, you’ve got to read the health risks first

Strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, mango, bubblegum, achaari, adrak—believe it or not, these are some of the many condom flavours that are available in the market. Yep, thanks to flavoured condoms, the industry is becoming more “creative” and “adventurous”.

Needless to say, the people buying it aren’t any less adventurous themselves and we say this for a reason. If you’re a sexually active adult, you might just be a part of the adventurous clan yourself and would be thanking the good Lord for the advent of these flavoured necessities lighting up your sex life like no other.

However, all that glitters is not gold. And this is true even for those flavoured condoms. Here’s looking at the good, bad, and the ugly side of them:

The good…
During a study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research, the researchers found that amongst prostitutes, who engaged in oral sex, 50% chose not to use condoms because they tasted bad. However, with the introduction of flavoured condoms, more women used the protective barrier.

Now, as per the advisory given by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HPV, and even HIV can be spread through oral sex.

In fact, according to the CDC’s data, while 85% of sexually active adults engage in oral sex, only about two per cent report using condoms during it.

Thus, the flavoured condoms that mask the odour of the latex used to make condoms don’t just make oral sex more enjoyable, but also help reduce the risk of women getting sexually transmitted infections and diseases.

The bad and the ugly…
There’s no doubt about the fact that flavoured protection is way, way better and safer than no protection at all. Even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States, agrees and approves of the strength and protection offered by flavoured condoms.

However, the FDA also warns against the presence of sugar in flavoured condoms, which can alter the pH levels of a woman’s vagina if these condoms are used for penetrative sex. This, in turn, can cause a yeast infection in your lady bits.

Also read: It’s time to improve your relationship with your vagina. Here’s how you can make that happen

Moreover, the flavours are chemically synthesized. This simply implies that using a flavoured condom means exposing yourself to more chemicals that can lead to vaginal irritation, itching, and infection!

So, what should you do?
Oral or penetrative—sex without protection is a risky matter. Hence, using a condom while at it is non-negotiable.

However, if you like a dash of flavour while indulging in oral sex, you can defo use a flavoured condom. But make sure to keep a regular condom handy as well, so that you can change into it before kickstarting penetrative sex.