posted
Remins me of an old and almost certainly untrue story. During the second world war, Russia, England and America were nominal allies. Russia was facing a lot of shortages and one of the things that they requested from the west was condoms. When comrade Stalin was asked what sort, he replied that they should be standard Russian size - 9 inches.
After he had left, Churchill and Eisenhower had a discussion about this and Churchill's suggestion won. The condoms were duly supplied, clearly labelled in English and Russian: Medium
In all seriousness, this is not the first time that it has been suggested that condoms be provided in difference sizes. On study suggested that they should be labelled like Olives. Large, Extra Large and Jumbo so no-one had to ask for the small.
Blues "Ah, Pharmacist, Could I have... uh, some cough sweets please?" Scale
Posts: 207 | From: Woolhampton, Berks, UK | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
I read a similar tale years ago, again I call false, that the Durex company had to make an extra-small version for the Japanese market.
I've sometimes wished I could befriend a doctor in uro-genital medicine who presumably would have seen hundreds if not thousands of penises, and ask him/her if the racial stereotypes about size are true. If anybody would know, I guess they would.
-------------------- "Ladies and gentlemen, this is what is commonly known as money. It comes in all sizes, colours, and denominations - like people." Posts: 997 | From: Maidstone, UK | Registered: Jun 2006
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posted
I can't say if this story is true but I will attest to the fact that the "normal" size of condoms does vary somewhat between different countries, far more than it does, for example, between different brands. (But they vary even more in quality and price.) Even though the difference in median size between different ethnic groups may only be a few millimeters, a few millimeters can make a big difference in how well a condom fits.
Posts: 4922 | From: Kyoto, Japan | Registered: Sep 2005
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quote:I've sometimes wished I could befriend a doctor in uro-genital medicine who presumably would have seen hundreds if not thousands of penises, and ask him/her if the racial stereotypes about size are true. If anybody would know, I guess they would.
I saw something about this on TV some years ago, and apparently different markets have different sizes. Makes sense, if other parts of the body vary in size between different groups, why not the penis?
And I sure don't believe those who say that "they are so stretchy so one size fits all". Sure, they stretch, but if they stretch, they become uncomfortable. There are only a few Swedish brands that I find comfortable, and some almost cut off circulation (and no, it's not just bragging, it's a very real problem). I've also heard women who don't like too small condoms, as the rubber ring at the base overstimulates them and makes them oversensitive if the condom is so short that the ring actually enters them on every stroke.
-------------------- /Troberg Posts: 4360 | From: Borlänge, Sweden | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
This thread just reminds me of that old joke- "Can I get a box of Magnums? And, uh, some rubberbands, too?"
My ex-husband could never properly use condoms and had a quantity to get rid of. We had a close knit (clearly, very) group of friends and he asked my ex-boyfriend if he wanted the condoms, and of course, he did. And of course, he was like, "Magnums... that sounds about right!"
Ah, boys...
-------------------- My great grandfather planted that tree! Posts: 4862 | From: Brooklyn | Registered: Sep 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Troberg: I've also heard women who don't like too small condoms, as the rubber ring at the base overstimulates them and makes them oversensitive if the condom is so short that the ring actually enters them on every stroke.
If the ring is entering the woman, there is also the problem that it may roll off and no longer be protection against pregnancy or STDs.
-------------------- IIRC, it wasn't the shoe bomber's loud prayers that sparked the takedown by the other passengers; it was that he was trying to light his shoe on fire. Very, very different. Canuckistan Posts: 3694 | From: Arizona | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
I saw this same story on Slate and they said that while the failure rate for condoms is really high in general use in India, it's a lot lower in clinical trials, also with Indian men. And the most common complaint is tearing, not size, so maybe sex-ed isn't what it should be in India? (It's not so great here either. I somehow seemed to have missed it altogether in school, but made up for it later. ) Just hypothesizing.
-------------------- Kevin: Pink Bunkadoo? Randall: Yeah. Beautiful tree that was. Og designed it. 600 feet high, bright red, and smelled terrible. Posts: 71 | From: Portland, Oregon | Registered: Nov 2006
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posted
Maybe it is just me but if men are tearing a condom, what on earth are they doing? I have had the pleasure of knowing some wonderful, wonderful ladies rather well and none of them had anything sharp down there but they did have some awfully delicate tissues that required handling with great care.
Is there any good reason to use that much force?
Blues "Ouch!" Scale
Posts: 207 | From: Woolhampton, Berks, UK | Registered: Dec 2005
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quote:Originally posted by BluesScale: Maybe it is just me but if men are tearing a condom, what on earth are they doing?
I've never experienced a torn condom, but I think it would mainly be caused by a manufacturing defect in the latex.
-------------------- "There is no constitutional right to sleep with endangered reptiles." -- Carl Hiaasen Won't somebody please think of the adults! Posts: 8254 | From: Florida | Registered: Oct 2002
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Mrs. L used to like it a bit hard and fast (and probably still does.) We had at least three tear in as many months. Though it isn't mentioned in the instructions, I do recall seeing a show on TV years later that mentioned condoms could tear during vigorous penetration.
It didn't matter from our standpoint as we were trying for a baby, but following the now de-bunked advice to stop using the pill and use an alternative for six months before attempting to concieve.
-------------------- "Ladies and gentlemen, this is what is commonly known as money. It comes in all sizes, colours, and denominations - like people." Posts: 997 | From: Maidstone, UK | Registered: Jun 2006
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posted
Not to impugn the reporting standards of Yahoo, but did anyone else notice that the size difference mentioned is in length? Why on earth would this be an issue? Girth, yes -- length, no.
-------------------- [God said] "I'll just sit back in the shade while everyone gets laid; that's what I call intelligent design." - Chris Smither, "Origin of the Species" Posts: 411 | From: Fairfield, CT | Registered: Aug 2005
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