By Ryan Chichester
“One size fits all” has been a staple among headwear for years, using “flexfit” technology to make hats comfortable for multiple head sizes. Now, ONE condom company is scrapping that approach to make safe sex more feel like less of a burden.
ONE condoms are turning the industry on its head with 60 different sizes of condoms to make sex safer and more enjoyable. Between 30-35 percent of males complain of condoms that are too tight and cut off sensation during sex, while another 15-20 percent claim their condoms are too long, causing the condom to be pulled off during intercourse, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data was originally compiled by TheyFit condoms, a similar company that ONE bought at the end of 2016.
Since the acquiring of TheyFit, ONE condoms has been on a mission to keep the discussion of safe sex going by creating a fitting chart for males to determine their size. Customers can find their appropriate size with a process as easy as “print, get it up, measure and BAM!”
The company isn’t stopping there. ONE condoms have also encouraged consumers to get in on the creative process by holding contests for best condom wrapper designs as well as take photos with their ONE condom, or a “ONEselfie,” and submit the photo to the company website, who will donate five condoms in return. So far, the company has donated over 8,000 condoms through this promotion.
While the discussion of safe sex is usually met with an eye roll or awkward silence, students at Quinnipiac University are expressing a sense of excitement with a potential new option for practicing safe sex.
“There’s a lot of cool designs here,” said Quinnipiac student Michael Reilly, as he shuffled through a stack of various ONE condom designs, with colorful wrappers labeled “Lucky One,” “One Bright Idea,” or this student’s personal favorite, “Don’t Forget One.”
“That’s clever, I like that. You definitely shouldn’t forget one if you want to avoid pregnancy,” Reilly said.
The most important question, and the mission of the company, would be if the fancy designs and sizing statistics will increase the chances of having safe sex.
“Oh, absolutely,” another student, Tom Conley Wilson said. “It makes it much more interesting. The biggest issue I’ve heard with condoms is that it’s boring. With all the different variety, I think this would encourage people to have safe sex more often. I think this is sick. I’m about to try these later.”
While students at Quinnipiac are intrigued by the uniqueness of ONE condoms, they will have to venture off campus to stock up, according to Nancy Hunter, Associate Director at the student health center.
“The state provides our condoms,” Hunter explained. “We have two or three brands currently, but we don’t have ONE condoms yet.”
Despite the absence of ONE condoms on campus, these bright and colorful hats can be found in numerous pharmacies around the Hamden area, as well as WalMart. However, for the most accurate sizing options, the company suggests you do your shopping online.
New Haven county is among the highest rates of reported Gonorrhea, Syphilis and Chlamydia cases in the state of Connecticut among people aged 15-24, according to a 2013 study by CDC. More than two million cases of these three STDs were reported in the US in 2016, the highest number ever according to the CDC.
Hamden has been especially vulnerable to Chlamydia, according to a 2015 study that found the city’s rate of reported cases to be in the top 15 in the state, with the majority of cases being in young adults.
For students at Quinnipiac, their draw towards ONE condoms can be through fun or fear. To loosely quote “A Cinderella Story,” “If the condom fits, wear it.”
