[melissa]

Do men hate condoms?


Roy Khaw, 23, uses condoms for safety reasons.
By Fiona Ho

Condom equals safe sex.

But many Malaysian men rather be sorry than safe.

They do not like using condoms because it diminishes sexual pleasure.

Teddy (not his real name), 32, has sex with his girlfriend almost everyday (sometimes even twice a day!) and he doesn’t use a condom. “It’s like shaking hands while wearing gloves,” says the IT-professional.

While Teddy has had over 10 other sexual partners to date, he believes that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are not a concern to him as he is currently in a monogamous relationship.

However, he says that he will use a condom depending on the “nature of the relationship.” His aversion to condom is worrying as it has a larger social implication, especially in the spread of of HIV/AIDS and STDs.

For instance, some 90% of drug users reportedly do not use condoms. This is a source of worry because it can contribute to the rise of HIV/AIDS cases, says social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir.

Although Roy Khaw, 23, isn’t too worried about contracting HIV, he uses a condom for “safety reasons.” Roy adds that he has sex regularly (about four times a week) with his long-term girlfriend. “Sex isn’t as good with a condom but I don’t want my girlfriend to get pregnant,” he says, adding that she insists he practiced safe sex.

However, the brazen real-estate agent reveals that he did not use any protection when he had sex with his girlfriend for the first time (one week after they met). “I didn’t have a condom at that time. And my ‘tiny head’ took over my ‘big head,” he says.

Published July 31 2010