By Laura Finaldi, News Staff

From ribbed and twisted to dual sensations to no lubricant at all, condoms come in so many different sizes and flavors that the sexual health aisle of a drugstore can seem like a candy shop.

With the number of options on the market, it’s easy to feel a bit lost, overwhelmed and even cheated. Kayla St. Pierre, senior psychology major, said she thinks the amount of different “sensations” for sale cannot all really be true.

“I think that it’s just a marketing ploy and there isn’t really a use for all the different kinds of condoms out there,” she said. “Just wearing any condoms I feel like would be effective. It’s not a style thing, it’s function.”

Victoria Miller, middler American Sign Language interpreting major, doesn’t believe all of the claims either.

“I don’t think it makes a difference,” she said. “They’re trying to make something unique so you want to buy it.”

A common contraceptive used to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), condoms are rubber structures that cover the penis during intercourse and have an extra pocket at the top of the condom called the “reservoir tip,” a spot where ejaculate is stored after orgasm.

“Think of a condom as a long balloon. It is that long, thin sheath that has kind of a parabola at the end of it,” Madeleine Estabrook, executive director of University Health and Counseling Services (UHCS) said. “The reservoir tip becomes a place for the ejaculate to rest. They call it a reservoir tip because that’s what it’s supposed to be doing. It’s kind of like the nipple on top of the condom.”

While there are no studies on which types of condoms feel the best, Estabrook said this kind of thing cannot be measured – it’s all up for interpretation.

“You really don’t know till you try,” she said. “Some people like a snugger fit. Part of it is security, part of it’s in our minds, part of it’s being comfortable with ourselves. It would be great if we had couples buying condoms together.”

Whether the condom is ultra-ribbed, ultra-thin or extra thick, it’s effectiveness in preventing pregnancy or STIs shouldn’t be a concern, Estabrook said.

“These condoms are all [Food and Drug Administration] approved and have gone through extensive testing, [so] no matter what brand you use, you can be confident that they’re going to be effective,” she said. “It’s really more of a preference. Some people prefer thinner condoms because they say they produce more sensations, some people like thicker because they feel more secure. Studies have shown that ultra-thin are just as effective.”

Many condoms are already coated with a lubricant that’s either water or silicone-based, but companies also make non-lubricated condoms, which Estabrook said are better used for oral sex. Lubricant lessens friction, making it harder for condoms to break.

However, if it’s go-time and non-lubricated condoms are the only option, Estabrook recommends buying a separate tube of lubricant and manually adding it on. She also said to make sure to never use oil-based lubricants, such as Vaseline or baby oils, as they can destroy the latex in the condoms and make them more likely to break.

Some condoms have spermicide, a chemical that is supposed to kill sperm upon direct contact, but Estabrook said there’s no research proving that condoms with spermicide are more effective in terms of birth control or disease prevention.

“Spermicide will help you to minimize pregnancy chances but it really doesn’t prevent HIV or STIs,” she said.

Estabrook said the biggest mistake people make regarding condoms is using them past their expiration date.

“Sitting in a pocket for a long time when it’s made a ring in your wallet, like it often does in boys’ wallets, isn’t good for it,” she said. “When you’ve got them, you have to use them correctly and consistently. If it looks funny, if it smells funny, if it feels funny, take it off, throw it out, get another one.”

In order to ensure the safest sex possible, Estabrook said it’s important to remember that it’s never too early to put on a condom.

“Many couples find that putting a condom on can be part of foreplay,” she said. “The condom has to go on before anything touches anything else.”

The best way to figure out what works is to keep communication open, Estabrook said.

“The more you can talk to your partner, the more you can have these conversations,” she said. “Find a way to become comfortable talking to your partner about it.”