Sex Column #1 The Modern Glass Slipper

Condom: The Modern Glass Slipper

Everything grows. Things evolve and become better at what they do. The condom is no exception. The same way TVs were discovered and became coloured then thinner and thinner, condoms have done the same, almost. Its purpose? To stop STDs, sperm, and the "forces of evil".

Once upon a condom, lube and latex didn't exist and people used to use a multitude of interesting measures to protect themselves from the “evil sperm”. Some women used the wax from a donkey's ears, whereas other women ingested weird concoctions as contraceptive measures. Condoms before the 19th century were made of animal intestines or bladders, oil dipped silk, or even horns. But fortunately in 1839, Charles Goodyear discovered how to make elastic, durable and waterproof condoms (he is linked to the tire company if you are wondering). Since then, the condom has become more and more efficient at keeping the evil sperm where it should be: swiming with the fish.

Love is not enough. Usually, sperm causes pregnancy and sexual activities causes STDs. Wearing one condom at a time is a good way to decrease your chances of getting an STD or getting someone pregnant. Wearing two condoms does not mean your chances are lower. When you do so, it becomes more likely that the condoms will fail. In Lebanon, buying or owning condoms is not illegal, but a married man from a certain sect can forbid his wife from using contraceptives.

You have the choice. There is a condom for every man: the big, the small, the audacious, the safe, the fast and the sophisticated. Mainly, Durex is the market leading brand which offers such variety. To know more about their products, you can be daring and visit your local pharmacy, or you can visit their website.

"Safe sex is great sex, better vwear a latex 'cause you don't want that late text, that "I think I'm late" text" - Lil Wayne

*title inspired by Fight Club

Sex Column #2

The Pill Behind the Magic

Hello women!
It's a pill, a magic pill, that protects you from having children. Well, it's not that easy. Birth control pills are hormonal doses of one or two types of magic hormones that stop you from being fertile. It's all thanks to my hormones friends: estrogen and progestin, they'll make sure you're special place is secure.

Things are hard. It was only till the 1960s that the US approved the pill and made it real. It was the first time that women were given the chance to control their fertility and still have sex. Birth control pills not only gave new powers to women but they help in so many other ways. Birth control pills regulates and decreases the heaviness of the period. So if you are suffering from those incredibly painful ones, taking BC pills will make your period more survivable. Nor only that but they also decrease acne when you keep up with the treatment, and decrease the symptoms of endomitriosis and other evil things.

Did someone say cancer? Taking Birth control pills for a period of five years decreases your chances of having ovarian cancer by 50%. I never heard of a condom do that. Now everything comes at a price. If you want to enjoy the benefit of the magic pills, you must take it everyday, at the same time. If you miss two pills or so, your protection goes down by around 18%.

Libido is important. The pills increase libido for some and decrease it for others. A birth control pill user told me that she felt an increase in: Nausea, dizziness, sleepiness, moodiness, lightheadedness. Yet none of these are major side-effects. Only the minority of users get side effects, and their boobs might get bigger too.

Birth control pills are not about sex, it's about health. They make people's lives better and healthier. However, that's not the case for the rest of us on this planet. Recent spikes in estrogen are making things really bad for some fish. They too are becoming infertile because of the estrogen that trickles down to them... And guess where that came from.

PS: if you smoke while you are on the pill, you might get a stroke.