Originally posted by thirdlegmeat@Jun 29 2004, 07:06 PM
That said, I disagree with you when you say that length is not as much of a problem as girth, when it comes to condom sizing. I thing it's quite the opposite, as (like you said) condoms stretch with regards to width/girth. Condoms do NOT stretch however, lengthwise. ....
I was not suggesting that condoms can be stretched lengthwise at all. In fact, when you stretch an elastic material like a condom in girth, it actually becomes shorter (in a proportion known as Poission's Ratio, for the mechanical engineers.) So, as you point out, the condom will not cover more, and probably less, of the penis than its unstretched length.
Rather, I meant that if a condom is too tight in girth, there isn't much you can do about it. It will either be uncomfortable, or just not fit, and will not be acceptable for use.
However, if a condom does not reach completely to the base of the penis, you may find that perfectly acceptable, and it may not be a problem for you. This is an individual decision, which takes into account the following factors:
1) Will the uncovered portion of the penis shaft actually be inserted?
2) Do the motions of the condom user and his partner tend to snag the base of the condom, causing it to roll off, or does it still stay in place, despite being a bit short?
3) Do you stay hard long enough after cumming that the condom will stay tightly secured on your penis, or do you have to hold the condom by the base when you pull out?
4) Is the function of the condom to protect against STDs, or just for contraception (i.e. safe monogamous partner)? If just for contraception, if the girth fits correctly, and the condom stays in place (#2 and #3), it will not leak ejaculate despite being a little short.
5) Is the risk of STD transmission through this uncovered skin at the base of the penis shaft any greater than through the uncovered skin throughout the scrotal and groin area, which comes into contact with the partner's groin and becomes wetted by the partner's fluids?
6) Is the risk of STD transmission through the uncovered skin at the base of the penis shaft any greater than through the unbroken skin of your hand when you finger your partner's privates during foreplay? Do you wear latex gloves for this activity?
I suspect that the warning in the condom instructions about unrolling all the way has more to do with keeping the condom from slipping off than with "protecting" the whole shaft, for the following reasons:
Some men attempt to use a condom by just placing it over the head of the penis, but not rolling it down over the shaft (I know several such people, and such incorrect practices were discussed in my high school Health classes). In fact, when I was younger, you could still buy things called "condom caps," which were very short condoms that just fit over the head of the penis. These are no longer on the market, because they tended to come off, particularly on certain penis shapes (tapered vs. mushroom). I believe that the warning in the condom instructions to fully unroll the condom has more to do with discouraging these behaviors, than being sure that the skin at the base of the penis is covered. If the condom is partially unrolled, the bulky ring of rolled up material at the base is likely to snag, causing the condom to be pulled off. However, if fully unrolled, even if too short, this excess bulk is gone, so the condom base is less likely to snag.
Further, it appears that some men have problems keeping condoms from slipping off in general, both during sex and during withdrawl. Evidence of the former is the large number of patents that have been issued for condom retention devices, and the fact that you can actually buy special medical cock rings that clip the condom in place. Evidence of the latter is the warning in the condom instruction to hold the base of the condom when pulling out. Personally, I've never had trouble with either. In fact, before finding the They Fit condoms with adequate girth, getting the condom off after pulling out was difficult and sometimes even painful. The ring at the base would typically have sunk into my cock flesh, making it all but impossible to grasp, and the condom would not come off by just pulling the tip. Although the Magnum XL is theoretically long enough for me, by the time I had the girth stretched out they typically did not cover me all the way down. However, despite this, I have never had one pull off even partially.
Therefore, I believe a condom can still reliably perform its function even if a part of the penis shaft remains uncovered when it is fully unrolled. But again, this is a personal thing based on your judgement and experience. If the condom tends to get pulled off, obviously it's no good. But, if you are concerned about the unprotected skin, you should apply the same concern to all the other unprotected skin that may come into contact with your partner's privates, and take suitable precautions there, too.