Once kept in the back of pharmacies, condoms have become common and familiar items in the 1980s and 1990s because of the AIDS crisis. Apart from sexual abstinence, condoms represent the safest method of preventing the transmission of the HIV virus...

Male condoms are thin sheaths of latex (rubber), polyurethane (plastic), or animal tissue that are rolled onto an erect penis immediately prior to intercourse. They are commonly called "safes" or "rubbers." Female condoms are made of polyurethane, and...

Condom A thin, elastic covering worn on a man's penis during sexual intercourse to catch semen and protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). When used properly in combination with a vaginal spermicide, a condom is a relatively...

While in the contemporary period condoms are considered to play a key role in preventing HIV and STI transmissions, this cultural object is also considered to stigmatise certain social groups and threaten normative gender identities, especially for...

A condom is a device most commonly used during sexual intercourse. It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner. Condoms are used to prevent pregnancy and transmission of sexually...

Available soon from City Hall: an official New York condom in a jazzy wrapper, perhaps one printed with a colorful subway map or some other city theme.New York City hands out 1.5 million free condoms a month in ordinary wrappers, and health officials figure people...

As the world's top condom experts convene this week to update international standards, one American entrepreneur has a simple message: Size matters. It's shaking up an industry that has generally taken a one-size-fits-all approach.Frank Sadlo, founder of TheyFit, which makes what he claims are the...

South Africa is recalling millions of locally manufactured condoms after tens of thousands failed an air burst test, dealing a further blow to the country's campaign to prevent the spread of AIDS.The Health Ministry said Tuesday the recall involves condoms distributed free by the government.It...

Amid all the dire warnings about the AIDS pandemic, researchers announce some good news: Young African women report they are increasingly using condoms with their partners. The study, published in the British journal The Lancet, analyzed data in 18 African...