As we enter a new year, Laura Reynolds looks at how the dating game differs from previous generations.
Laura Reynolds looks at the freedoms of festive singledom
Join Jason Rose for a peek behind today's door.
Lauren Tabbron writes about the difficulties of spending Christmas away from a loved one.
50 Cent is even releasing his own range of condoms this year, a smart move by his publicists to link his ‘bad boy’ image with safe-sex. Celebrities endorsing condoms makes sense publicity-wise, but if a man turned up in my bedroom wearing one of fiddy’s range I doubt it’d make me feel like I was sleeping with a hardcore gangster rapper. Does using an ‘Elite’ condom suggest there’s an Aston Martin in the driveway? Or choosing a Selection Box imply a man is surprising and just ‘wild’ in bed?
With so much choice, it can be hard to know what’s best. If it’s the first time with a new partner it probably doesn’t matter too much, as long as neither of you whip out some outlandish multi-coloured animal shaped special, and with a longer-term partner you have the freedom to experiment and find out what best for both of you. If you’re willing to risk not lasting very long, for the ultimate in pleasure I’d choose the ‘Pleasuremax’. Its combination of both ribs and raised dots is supposed to ensure maximum stimulation for you and your partner. It is also available in a ‘warming’ version, with gently heating lubricant to enhance pleasure even further.
Or you could choose ‘Performa’, if you want to make it last longer (it contains a special numbing cream to help prolong sexual excitement – not as scary as it sounds).
Watch out for what happened to a friend of mine though – his girlfriend was giving him a blow-job after he’d been wearing a Performa condom and ended up not being able to feel her mouth!
Size wise, most condoms fit everyone, although they are available in large, extra large, small and even extra small (soon to be endorsed by Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias). Personally I’ve tended to find that the gossamer condoms (the ones you always get given free at the health centre) tend to be on the small side compared to others, but with such a huge range on the market it’s not hard to find something that will work for you. And if you really don’t know what to choose, the Durex website has a ‘Condom Selector’ to help you on your way!
The Man’s Word:
Personally I have found condoms irritating, painful, tight and often a real turn-off. The eternity between: ‘shall we?’ and the getting, removing and rolling of the condom can seem infinite and goes a long way to killing the mood. The first step to avoid these sad situations is to make sure you have acquired a condom that fits. For instance, the fact your condom is called ‘Elite’ is irrelevant if by ‘elite’ you mean having your blood circulation cut off. Once you have chosen your condom there are some easy steps to take to maintain your mood when putting it on. Firstly keep the condom close by (walking around the room looking for one for twenty minutes is not sexy). A second trick, (which I believe I have mastered) is to carry on kissing your partner whilst opening the packet. For instance, one could slyly look over your partner’s shoulder while kissing his/her neck. Finally, always put it on yourself. Whatever your partner says, it is your manhood, and you know how it works!
Free condoms are available from the Health Centre, your Welfare Officers, the GUM clinic on Monkgate or by emailing YUSU welfare (who will deliver them to your door in a very subtle brown bag.)
