Male and Female Condom Demo (Amanda McCarthy)

Title: Male and Female Condom Demo

Principle(s) Investigated: How do FDA approved Male and Female Condoms work and how do we use them to protect ourselves against STIs and unplanned pregnancy?

Standards: 1.12.G Evaluate the safety and effectiveness (including success and failure rates) of FDA approved condoms and other contraceptives in preventing HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy.

2.3.G Assess the discrepancies between actual and perceived social norms related to sexual activity among teenagers.

2.4.G Assess situations that could lead to pressure for sexual activity and to the risk of HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy.

3.1.G Analyze the validity of health information, products, and services related to reproductive and sexual health.

3.2.G Identify local resources concerning reproductive and sexual health, including all FDA-approved contraceptives, HIV/STD testing, and medical care.

3.3.G Compare the success and failure rates of FDA-approved condoms and other contraceptives in preventing HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy.

5.7.G Use a decision-making process to evaluate the use of FDA-approved condoms and other contraceptives for pregnancy and STD prevention.

7.1.G Describe personal actions that can protect sexual and reproductive health.

Materials:

    • Male Condom (available at pharmacies, supermarkets, Planned Parenthood, my classroom!)
    • Female Condom (available at Walgreens, Walmart, Amazon)
    • Male Penis Demo Model (Planned Parenthood, online source)

Procedure:

Male Condom:

    • Check the expiration date.
    • Feel for the air bubble.
    • Open the condom carefully.
    • Check That the condom is right side out.
    • Pinch the tip of condom.
    • Roll the condom on to the base
    • Hold onto the condom when withdrawing.
    • Tie condom and throw in trash

Female Condom:

    • Get into a comfortable position, stand with one foot on a chair.
    • Squeeze the closed thicker inner ring together with your finger
    • Insert it in the vagina just like a tampon. Put the condom in as far back as possible.
    • Let the open thinner outer ring hang on the outside of the vulva
    • Please guide the penis in the opening of the condom. Don’t trust your partner to do this, they may enter the vagina on the side of the condom.
  • When you are finished, just twist the outer ring to remove it.
  • Tie condom and throw in trash.

Student prior knowledge: Students should be able to answer the below questions prior to this lesson:

  • What is an STI?
  • What effects can STIs have on our health?
  • What effects can unplanned pregnancy have on our life?

Explanation: Give a thorough explanation of the experiment or demonstration. Your explanation should be written to give your fellow teachers a solid understanding and include greater detail than what you might provide for your secondary students. Make certain to include equations whenever pertinent.

Explain that there are two types of FDA approved condoms that both protect against STIs and pregnancy a male condom (for people with penises) and a female condom (for people with vaginas). For the male condom explain that every condom has an expiration date and this should be the first thing someone checks when picking a condom to use, the second thing that should be checked in the presence of an air bubble, explain that if an air bubble is not present this means there is a hole somewhere in the packaging and the condom should be thrown away. After checking for an expiration date and air bubble (you can have students volunteer to check both these things) explain that the package should only ever be opened with your fingers and never teeth or scissors. Once opened show students the correct side the condom should be rolled down on, explain that if you have the condom on inside out it will not work and you should throw it away since it has already come into contact with the penis. Once the condom is placed correctly pinch the tip to prevent air from filling it, explain this could lead to the condom breaking and that the tip is meant to have space so it can collect sperm. Once the tip of the condom is pinched, roll the condom down to the base of the penis. Explain that the condom should be removed after ejaculation but before the penis is completely soft to prevent the condom from falling off. Once the condom is ready to be removed hold onto the base of the condom and roll it off, tie the condom and dispose in garbage.

When using a female condom the first two steps are similar to the male condom where one will want to check for an expiration date and a package that has not been ripped or compromised in anyway. Once having checked for these explain that the female condom has two rings, an inner ring and an outer ring, the inner ring is pinched and inserted into the vagina like a tampon this will leave the inside of the vagina protected by the length of the condom and the outer ring will protect the vulva. Explain that one must guide their partner's penis to ensure it is securely inside the female condom. Once you are finished you can remove the female condom by twisting the outer ring and the rest of the condom from the vagina, once removed throw in trash.

Questions & Answers: Give three thought-provoking questions and provide detailed answers.

What are some reasons someone may not use a condom even though they know how safe they are?

Pressure from a partner: "Don't you trust me?" "They don't feel good" "If you loved me you wouldn't ask me to use one" all of these are examples of things a partner may say to use to keep us from using a condom but it is important to take responsibility for your body and your health, if a partner refuses to use a condom you should not have sex with them.

Buying the condom: Young people can feel embarrassed to buy condoms at a store where they may be recognized by a parent or family friend but it is important to remember that protecting yourself is a responsible mature action that you should not be ashamed of. People also may be under the assumption that there is an age restriction on buying condoms, there is no such restriction, if you are at a store and they will not sell them to you that is illegal. Condoms are usually inexpensive but you can get them for free at most LAUSD high schools or at your local Planned Parenthood.

They don't feel good: If you always use a condom you won't know anything different. Contracting an STI or dealing with an unplanned pregnancy may be more uncomfortable than using a condom.

What if me or my partner is allergic to latex?

Both male and female condoms are available in polyurethane and nitrile, non latex materials approved by the FDA.

If I'm on birth control why would I need to use a condom?

People on hormonal birth control like the pill or those who have an IUD are protected from unplanned pregnancy, however condoms protect from unplanned pregnancy AND sexually transmitted infections or HIV. If you just use hormonal birth control you will not be protected from STIs.

Applications to Everyday Life: This lesson is invaluable to any persons engaging in sexual activity, if someone is not engaging in sexual activity this information can be passed on to their peers or used in the future.

Photographs: Include photos and diagrams that illustrate the how the investigation is performed.