About condoms

[warshep]

Hi and thank you to the Scarleteen staff reading this,
I have a question regarding condom use. I read somewhere that if you are uncircumcised you shouldn't have to pull the comdom ring completely to the base (where the penis connects to the body I presume). Is that true, or is a male still suppose to fully cover his penis?

[Sam W]

Hi Superman22,

You do have to pull the condom down fully when you're uncircumcised, but you do it a little differently than if you were circumcised. From this article: A Foreskin Foray: Questions, Concerns, & Clarifications
"The key difference is that you and your partner should make sure the foreskin is beneath the head of the penis as you roll the condom on. Roll the condom down halfway, then release the foreskin before rolling it the rest of the way down. As long as the condom is on securely and it feels comfortable, you're good to go."
If you need a visual illustration of what that process looks like, this article has got you covered:
All the Barriers! All the Time!

[warshep]

Thank you sam, oh and does it really make a difference if i put a condom on without retracting the foreskin, would it make the condom vulnerable to tearing or slipping off, or is it just a preferential thing? Thank again.

[Siân]

Hi superman22,

Retracting the foreskin before putting on the condom allows the foreskin to move freely during sex, which can feel more comfortable and pleasurable. As long as you have the condom on properly - all the way on, with no air bubbles - it shouldn't make a difference to how likely it is to slip or split.

[warshep]

HI and sorry to bother you again. A friend told me yesterday that a condom is not supposed to be pulled all the way down to the base as the testicles gonna prevent it from going further down. Is that true, I always thought that by base it means all the way down to the very root of the shaft that connects to the body, or does that fatty skin that looks like it belongs to the scrotum near the very base doesn't need to be protected? Thank you again

[Sam W]

Hi Superman22,

When we talk about rolling the condom down to the base of the penis, your original understanding of it is correct; it means rolling the condom down to where the shaft meets the rest of the body. Does that help clarify things?

[warshep]

It does. Thank you very much.

[Sam W]

You're welcome!