The male condom

Nathan Chan 9.1

Introduction
Taking care of a human being needs a lot of responsibility, it also spends a lot of effort, time, and money.
This is why some people dont want to get pregnant. Overpopulation is an other problem why people dont
want to get pregnant, 75% of the earth is water and 25% is freshwater (everythingconnects.org), this means
the earth provides limited amount of water and if there are too many human beings on this planet, the earth
couldnt provide enough fresh water for everybody to drink. Food is also limited on earth, the earth wont
provide enough food for humans to eat if almost all animals are extinct due to human overpopulation.
Oxygen is another issue of overpopulation, if there are a lot of human beings on the planet, more land will
be needed to build apartments and houses for people to live in which trees are need to be chopped down for
land. More people means more resources for example water will be needed, so there will be conflicts over the
resources, therefore there will be war to get those resources. It would be more difficult for people to apply jobs
since most of the jobs would be taken, therefore the poverty population will increase since people wont earn
enough money for basic needs.
Solution
The male condom is the solution of preventing pregnancy, the male
condom is put on the erect or the hardened penis. The condom
prevents contact with the sperm and the vagina. If sperm doesnt
reach the egg, fertilisation wont occur, and if fertilisation doesnt
occur, no childbirth. Over 100 women whose partners use a male
condom, 18 gets pregnant, this means the male condom is 82%
effective. There are different kinds of male condoms, some
condoms are made out of rubber (latex), plastic (polyurethane) and
Lambskin (pamf.org). Putting spermicide on the condom is even
more affective preventing pregnancy. Spermicide is a chemical
which kills sperm cells, some male condoms come with it. For the
best protection, the condom should be put on before any sperm
comes in contact with the vagina. Male condoms are found in most
convenient stores and in the supermarket for example 7-eleven.

https:/myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/
aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?
hwid=ug6452

Although the male condom is effective preventing pregnancy, there are disadvantages of the male condom.
Firstly, the condom could break or slip off the penis during sex, if put on incorrectly. Secondly the condom
decreases sensitivity and pleasure of sex. Thirdly, some people are allergic to latex, symptoms of alleges
include itching, hives and stuffy or runny nose. A plastic (polyurethane) condom will be preferred for those
who are allergic to latex, the plastic condom is less effective protecting from STIs. Fourth, the male have to
pull out the condom after ejaculation and before the penis gets soft. Fifth, The male condom could be used
once which means the condom has to be thrown away. (consult.womenhelp.org) Last, some people might get
embarrassed when they buy a condom from a convenient store or supermarket.
Protecting against STIs
The reason why most people use a male condom because it protects against STIs (Sexual transmitted
infections) which includes HIV or aids. Sexually transmitted infections include Chlamydia, Genital warts,
Genital herpes, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, HIV, Trichomoniasis, Pubic lice and scabies.
The most common STI in the UK is Chlamydia, it is easily passed on during sex. Most people dont
experience any symptoms of the disease so they are unaware that they are infected. Chlamydia could cause
pain when urinating to both women and men. Women would have bleeding after sex or between periods,
men would have a white watery discharge from the tip of the penis and pain in the testicles. Another
commonly transmitted infection through unprotected sex is HIV, it weakens and attacks the immune system
and makes it less able to fight against diseases or viruses. Aids is the final stage of HIV when the immune
system can no longer be able to fight against diseases.(nhs.uk)

Environmental impacts
Some say that male condoms are making more trash in the landfill, actually male condoms are good to the
environment as they are made from latex which are from rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis), so they would
decompose in landfills. Therefore, latex condoms are environmentally friendly. (ecosalon.com) Although latex
condoms are biodegradable, people need to chop down rubber trees to make latex condoms, this is bad for
the environment because trees gives us oxygen and they absorb carbon dioxide and harmful gasses. Trees are
also animals habitat. Although latex condoms can biodegrade in landfills, polyurethane or synthetic rubber
condoms wont biodegrade in landfills since they are made from rubber. polyurethane or synthetic rubber
condoms are not good for the environment because people also have to cut down rubber trees to make them.
Ethical impact
Before condoms were made, people would only have sex when they want to have a baby. When condoms
were invented, people would have sex anytime without thinking about being pregnant, sex has also became
part of leisure. This is a negative impact because it makes people sex is not very important and it is not
important to have a baby to keep human population.
Conclusion
To conclude, overpopulation is a big problem in the world and if it does happen, a lot of people will die from
thirst, starvation and in war conflicts. There are a lot of methods to prevent pregnancy, this includes the male
condom, female condom, combined contraceptive pill, Morning after pill etc. From all of those methods,
the male condom is the most effective from preventing pregnancy. Although the male condom is the most
effective in preventing pregnancy, there are side effects or disadvantages of the male condom, but most of
these issues are minor issues. The male condom might not be very effective preventing pregnancy if it is worn
incorrect, but if it is worn correctly, the male condom would be very effective.
Bibliography:
(n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2016, from http://www.everythingconnects.org/overpopulation-effects.html
Male Condom. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://www.pamf.org/teen/sex/birthcontrol/
condom.html
What are the disadvantages of the male condom? (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2016, from https://
consult.womenhelp.org/en/page/500/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-the-male-condom
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) . (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2016, from http://www.nhs.uk/
conditions/Sexually-transmitted-infections/Pages/Introduction.aspx