Ten condom commandments

Condoms are widely promoted as one of the most effective ways of preventing the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, but a recent study has found that incorrect use of condoms is common and affects their effectiveness.

Indiana University's Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction conducted a review of global literature on condom errors and problems from 1995 to 2011. News has put together a list of suggestions based on some of the common errors reported:

Use it from beginning to end - Sometimes the condom is applied once intercourse has already started, or removed before intercourse has ended. The review found that this error was frequently reported; another common mistake was starting sex before the condom was unrolled to the base of the penis. Condoms should be fully applied before intercourse has begun and should only be removed once intercourse is finished.

Do not completely unroll the condom before putting it on - A 2002 study of 158 US college men found that 25 percent completely unrolled the condom before putting it on, rather than the correct method, which involves rolling the condom on to an erect penis.

How to use a condom

• Check the expiration date
• Make sure you can feel the air
  bubble in the closed packet
• Carefully open the condom
• Ensure it is the right side up
• Ensure there is about 1cm of
  space at the tip
• Place the condom on the penis
• Roll it all the way to the base
• Hold on to the base of the
  condom when withdrawing
• Dispose of the condom

Leave a space at the tip of the condom - Generally, it is recommended that a space of about 1cm be left at the top of the condom to collect semen; if no space is left, there is a risk that the semen may run down the sides of the condom and leak out before the penis is withdrawn. Three studies reviewed reported prevalence rates for not leaving space at the tip, ranging from 24.3 percent to 45.7 percent.


Squeeze air from the tip before use - Excess air should be removed from a condom before use, as it can cause breakage. In a 2005 US study, 41.6 percent of men and 48.1 percent of women reported that air was not squeezed from the tip before use.

Put the condom on right way up - The study found that another common condom error was putting the condom on inside out and then flipping it over and using it the right way round; this poses risks because it potentially exposes the sexual partner to pre-ejaculate once the condom is flipped to the correct side. If the condom is put on inside out, it is best to discard it and use a fresh one.

Be careful not to damage the condom - The study reported the use of sharp objects to open the packet, knowingly using a damaged condom or not checking for physical damage. Condom packets should not be opened with fingernails, scissors or other sharp objects. 

Use the right lubricant - Some common lubrication issues include the use of un-lubricated condoms, which increases the risk of breakage, and oil-based lubricants, which break down the latex and make it more likely to break. If lubricant is required, water-based lubricants are preferable to reduce the risk of breakage. 

Withdraw correctly - Not holding the base of the condom during withdrawal can lead to leakage. Incorrect withdrawal was reported in as many as 57 percent of condom-use events in one study.

Store safely and check expiration dates - Ideally, condoms should be kept in a cool, dry place; condoms in wallets or in back pockets for long periods are not a good idea, as body heat can weaken them. Incorrect storage was reported by 19.1 percent of participants in a 2003 US study.

Do not re-use - Condoms are intended for single use, and should be disposed of after intercourse. Re-use of condoms was rarely reported in the studies in this review, but may be more common in less economically developed countries or among the poor. In Kenya, at least one community reported washing and re-using condoms due to the long distance between villages and health centres providing free condoms.

source: IRIN

read also: CONDOMplating safe sex

Report: LGBT rights situation in Armenia 2011

LGBT rights violation can be witnessed in various spheres of social life. LGBT people state that there is discrimination toward them in educational institutions and there were cases when a person was bullied by a teacher because of being feminine (in case of a male person) or masculine (in case of a female person), forced to drop out from the university because of his/her sexual orientation. Scientific papers and work on this issue is not welcomed, because the stance of the lecturers is that it is a perversion and the person is perverted if he/she wants to work on this topic. A gay student was not allowed to write a paper about homosexuality as the lecturer stated that he can’t be objective taking into account his sexual orientation.

Employment remains one of the most problematic aspects of life for LGBT people as employers refuse to hire someone who is open about his/her sexual orientation or his either feminine (gay) or masculine (lesbian). Transgender people have no opportunity to be open about their gender identity and there is no relevant legislation which will allow transsexual persons to change sex. Quite often LGBT people refuse to visit healthcare institutions in case of a necessity being not sure about the confidentiality there. If they contact civil society organizations they are being referred to LGBT friendly doctors, otherwise there is a high risk that person will be discriminated and will receive degrading attitude.

Army remains one of the most challenging institutions due to its closed nature and non-written rules which exist there and lead to discriminative and violent approach toward this group of people. In most of the cases media approach toward LGBT people is biased and based on stereotypes, prejudice and has no scientific and contemporary approach. There is no political willingness from the side of government institutions to protect LGBT rights and quite often they appear in the position of violators.

The stance of civil society toward LGBT rights is not united as well. Despite the fact that civil society organizations are able to work in the sphere of LGBT rights protection and take actions for changes, there is no support from the government and public and some part of civil society.

Although there are no radical changes in the above mentioned aspects, in this report we will focus on several aspects of social life and will present most common issues and problems of LGBT community in the Republic of Armenia which were registered in the past 2011.

Read more about the attitude of society, media, church, police and achievments in 2011 in our official website

Happy 2012

Schools must stop spreading homophobic and transphobic messages

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, has published a viewpoint on homophobic and transphobic bullying.

In schools across Europe young persons are being harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Homophobic and transphobic bullying is an every day reality in the lives of many. It is time to react – especially in view of several national studies and reports warning that there have been a number of suicides among young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons feeling rejected by their peers and families.

The scope of this problem appears to be large. A study in the United Kingdom showed that nine in ten secondary school teachers had witnessed children being subjected to homophobic bullying in their schools. Among primary school teachers two in five had made similar observations regarding children at this very early stage.

Such studies have also demonstrated that children in primary schools use homophobic remarks alarmingly often. They pick up and repeat negative jargon, most often without even understanding what the words refer to.

My recent report “Discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in Europe” contains numerous examples of how factually wrong information about LGBT persons is disseminated – sometimes also by schools themselves. This is a serious problem and may contribute to bullying and to cementing homophobic and transphobic attitudes.

School books used to spread prejudices

The World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases in 1990. Despite this, prejudices and misunderstandings have too often lived on in teaching programmes.
Only this past summer was a decision taken in “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” to revise a school textbook describing homosexuals as “neurotic and psychotic persons” with an “abnormal, unnatural and degenerated sexual life”. From Lithuania I have received information that children have been taught that homosexuality is a sickness and that same-sex relationships destroy families.

In 2009 the European Committee of Social Rights set an important standard in its review of a complaint against Croatia regarding the content of a school biology textbook which was held to contain prejudiced information. The Committee found that “Certain educational materials which are used in the regular teaching programme are biased, discriminatory and degrading.” Croatia withdrew the textbook as a result of the Committee’s findings, though NGOs in the country still report similar problems with other textbooks.

“Don’t stand for homophobic bullying”

Some member states have taken encouraging initiatives. A national action plan in Norway targets schools at both primary and secondary level and has added an LGBT dimension to subjects in the mainstream curriculum. In Estonia the national study curriculum provides a basis for discussions on LGB issues. UNESCO is initiating an international consultation on homophobic bullying in educational institutions. NGOs conduct indispensable anti-homophobic bullying campaigns such as the Irish ‘Don’t stand for homophobic bullying’ initiative.

There is a strong need to review curricula and teaching materials in all member states of the Council of Europe. This was also emphasised in a Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation which called on member states to provide “pupils and students with the necessary information, protection and support to enable them to live in accordance with their sexual orientation and gender identity.”

Schools obliged to protect students

It is an obligation for all schools to protect their students from bullying and to teach respect and openness. School personnel need thorough training concerning non-discrimination issues. One important tool in this regard could be the Council of Europe training pack on violence reduction in schools.
Policy makers and school management need to give strong support to teachers in order for them to have the means and resources to create a healthy and inclusive environment in schools and classrooms.

Thomas Hammarberg

Ginosi Corporation's statement

Online travel agency Ginosi Corporation's disappointment on Radio Van's homophobic attitude:

Dear Radio Van Management,

We recently learned with shock and regret of discriminatory remarks that Shushanik Arevshatyan has made about gays and lesbians on the radio station's official website/blog. This puts Ginosi.com as a corporate sponsor of Radio Van in an awkward position not only with respect to our gay and lesbian customers, employees and business relations but also as a company that views corporate social responsibility and equal opportunity in its business practices as a top priority.

This letter is to inform you that having received this information, we are disappointed and feel put down by your organization. We feel necessitated to suspend all future sponsorship plans for Radio Van effective immediately. Furthermore, this experience has forced us to review our own due diligence process with respect to our corporate sponsorship programs. Namely, we will work to put procedures and processes in place to ensure that we will never again unknowingly finance bigotry.

With this letter we say good bye to Radio Van and finally, we believe that a public apology by Radio Van to the LGBT community is in order.

Yours truly,
Areg Ginosian
Chief Executive Officer
Ginosi Corporation