Condom Use & Human Health
At the beginning of Earth’s history when men and women were created by God, God blessed Adam and Eve and directed them with the words “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” {Genesis 1:28} As God had created man in His own image, so did God graciously share with humanity the ability to create new life. God created men and women with the ability to procreate and generate more of their own kind through the act of sex. From the very beginning of the creation of mankind, sexual intercourse was instituted as a divine right of marriage only occurring between men and women. Today, Satan has so perverted the image of man that now sexual intercourse is taking place between men with men and women with women… together working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which is due to them. Satan has now gone further in his work of bringing misery and woe upon humanity by introducing harmful contraceptive products to heterosexual couples. One of these products that will be discussed in this article are condoms. To find out more about why popular condoms pose health risks, continue reading this article.
CONDOMS: A BRIEF HISTORY
Condoms, in their varied forms, have been used all throughout history for different purposes besides only contraceptive purposes. For example, primitive people used penis coverings to protect themselves from tropical disease and insect bites. They also used them as badges of honor and markers of distinction. During ancient times, most condoms were made from animal parts. The Romans made condoms out of goats’ bladders. In 1564, Gabrielle Fallopius described a linen sheath used to prevent getting syphilis. He wrote “I tried the experiment on eleven hundred men, and I call immortal God to witness that not one of them was infected.” {Himes, 1963} The term condom comes from the Latin word condus which means one who collects or preserves something. In 1843, condom use became more common because of the advent of vulcanized rubber. In the 1930’s vulcanized rubber was replaced with liquid latex. After the birth control pill was invented, condom use dropped in the 1960’s followed by a resurgence of condom use in the 1980’s because of the HIV/AIDS crisis
THE NITROSAMINE CONNECTION
Nitrosamines are mutagenic and carcinogenic chemicals found in elastomer and rubber products. In a study from 2008, a Chinese market study was conducted where 37 condoms were sampled to determine nitrosamine release. A nitrosamine migration experiment was conducted and the samples were analyzed. The researchers determined that the release levels of nitrosamine varied from 15.62 to 792.89 ug/kg. According to Commission Directive 93/11/EEC (1993), the release of nitrosamines from elastomer or rubber teats and soothers should not exceed 10 ug/kg material and nitrostable substances should not exceed 100 ug/kg material. When we consider that the release of mutagenic and carcinogenic nitrosamines was greater than the recommended release levels, this should cause a certain level of concern and caution. Since there is a demonstrated release of a harmful substance from condoms, this should be cause for concern for women’s health advocates because these chemicals may promote cancer either locally, in women’s reproductive tracts, or even systemically throughout their entire bodies. Moreover, carcinogenic nitrosamines may pose a threat to men because of exposure to nitrosamines through their skin or exposure from contact with their urethral/genital tract.
SHORT STORY OF NONOXYNOL-9
Nonoxynol-9 is a spermicidal agent which means that it is used primarily to kill sperm. All spermicidal agents contain a surfactant which is usually 1000 mg of nonoxynol-9. N-9 was being examined for its potential to reduce HIV infections and kill pathogenic microbes. This substance can be found in vaginal gel formulations and on condoms. Other agents marketed as vaginal spermicides include octoxynol-9 and benzalkonium chloride. These chemical agents, including N-9, destroy the outer coating of cells.
NONOXYNOL-9 & HPV
The most common sexually transmitted infection is genital human papillomavirus (HPV). In an attempt to halt the spread of HPV infections, researchers are trying to develop new interventions. It was thought that perhaps nonoxynol-9 might be able to help stop the spread of the virus. However, what researchers discovered is that N-9 does the opposite. Researchers found that the widely used vaginal spermicide greatly increased susceptibility to infection in mice. This research may give us further reason to be cautious about using N-9.
NONOXYNOL-9: HIV & GENITAL ULCERS
A study found that N-9 increased the risk of HIV infection in women who used a product containing the substance more than 3 times per day. Compared with the placebo group, the women who used N-9 experienced increased susceptibility to HIV infection and had more vaginal lesions with epithelial disruption. This means that N-9 has an adverse effect on the integrity of vaginal mucosa and perhaps even makes people more susceptible to HIV infection. In another study examining the effects of long-term use of nonoxynol-9 on vaginal flora, researchers observed a dose-dependent effect with increased exposure to nonoxynol-9 on the risk of bacterial vaginosis and its associated flora. Moreover, a study examined pro-inflammatory effects of microbicides including N-9. When gels containing 2% and 4% nonoxynol-9 were administered to female rabbits intravaginally for 3 days, the chemical-induced a significant inflammatory reaction.
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR CONTRACEPTION?
The big question is: how do we stop having babies without the use of condoms and the pill? For safe contraception, there is a twofold solution. The man’s role is to practice withdrawal or totally abstain from sex when she is ovulating. The woman’s role is to know when she is ovulating. There are three signs to understand when women are ovulating:
- Temperature Change-A woman should take her temperature before she gets out of bed every day. There will be a temperature drop and a subsequent increase onto a higher plane. The time when there is a drop in temperature and a subsequent spike onto a higher plane occurs between days 13 and 15. A woman should be able to define when her ovulation starts and stops.
- Vaginal Mucous Change-When estrogen is high, vaginal mucous is thicker and not as profuse. When progesterone is high, the mucous is very profuse and will be clear and stringy.
- Cervix Change- A woman should test her cervix day by day and record her findings. A pattern will become defined as time progresses. She will be able to decipher the changes and understand the change of her cervix during ovulation.
These three signs will come together between days 13 and 21. A woman should keep a personal detailed monthly chart of all her findings. If husbands and wives faithfully do their part in practicing these contraceptive practices, they will be able to safely enjoy sex without the use of condoms and/or the pill. If any information and directions in this article are unclear, please consult with your physician and conduct further research.
