(Image source from: How safe is your condom?)
Like a lot of us, advertising professional Snigdha Chouhan too believed that putting on the rubber during lovemaking can avert all risks of contracting any kind of sexually transmitted disease. And why not. After all, that is a widely accepted truth, isn't it?
That is why she was aghast when she visited her dermatologist after spotting red rashes and experiencing burning in and around her vagina and was told that she contracted syphilis, a kind of STD.
“I always thought that using a condom would keep me safe and had attributed the recurring burning sensation to the fact that I don’t drink enough water,” she said.
Snigdha and her beau were asked to undergo a few more blood tests and were given antibiotics to prevent the infection from spreading further.
Now, the big question is, are condoms really helpful in preventing STDs?
Syphilis is just one of the many sexually transmitted diseases that a rubber can't prevemt.
A renowned Indian Sexologist Dr Rajiv Anand, who has busted all myths about condoms and STDs, says that most people consider condoms to be a safe bet to prevent an STD, but there are some infections that can be passed on through contact between two cavities during oral sex or even a kiss. “The misconception is probably because a lot of AIDS awareness focuses on that. While it definitely holds true for AIDS, some STDs can’t be contained with a condom. While a condom can help prevent pregnancy and a few STDs, the herpes virus infection cannot be prevented by a condom. Even genital warts, also known as HPV, and other fungal infections can spread by contact with skin not covered by the condom. While using a condom prevents exchange of body fluids, the skin of the vulva can still touch infectious skin of the scrotum and you can get warts, herpes, pubic lice, gonorrhea, etc.”
To avert all risks, it's better that you avoid having multiple sex partners and get a health check-up done once you get up, close and intimate with a new mate.
Image Source: Femina
AW: Suchorita Dutta
