Condoms: Cheap and Chic!
(Don't ask me about the title - I just wanted a funky alliteration and none of the other slogans that come to mind- Better Safe than Worry from Jhankaar Beats etc, quite seem to cut to the point as well as this Moschino tagline).
Yes, so as you can tell, I want to talk about..... *drumroll and trumpets* condoms!!! Specifically my recent experience with them (not with a guy inside/behind (?) it you overimaginative voyeurs). (OMG I have so many digressions right now I shall have to save them all for another entry. but I WISH I had a digicam!!!)
Yes, so as you can tell, I want to talk about..... *drumroll and trumpets* condoms!!! Specifically my recent experience with them (not with a guy inside/behind (?) it you overimaginative voyeurs). (OMG I have so many digressions right now I shall have to save them all for another entry. but I WISH I had a digicam!!!)
Yes, so as I mentioned in my previous entry, my college friends, a male friend of the bride and I went to pick up the lingerie she had given for alteration for her honeymoon. We had decided earlier ot gift her a little care package for her honeymoon, comprising condoms, lubricant, maybe spermicide, maybe chocolate, maybe honeymooncystitis - or honeymoonpilitis - medicine. (If you don't know, honeymoon-x-itis is an illness caused from having excessive sex on your honeymoon - usually a urinary infection that causes you to feel like/randomly pee during sex. Sometimes accompanied by fever etc.) Here's a definition:
Triggered by bacteria, UTI, or urinary tract infection, can occur in the kidneys, bladder, or urethra. Symptoms of a UTI usually begin suddenly and include:
Frequent, irritating or burning urination
Persistent urge to urinate even after the bladder has been emptied
Cramping or pressure in the lower abdomen
Cloudy urine with a strong or unusual smell
Frequent, irritating or burning urination
Persistent urge to urinate even after the bladder has been emptied
Cramping or pressure in the lower abdomen
Cloudy urine with a strong or unusual smell
So it was the four of us sashaying down Gowalia Tank in our saris, sui and ghaghra respectively, looking incongruously festive in rainboow silken hues on a sunny mundane Monday brimming with the disorder of humanity and lunch hour traffic. We decided upon Cumballa Hill Chemists because I refused to cross the road in heels and unmeanageable yards of cloth (not to mention that you can't exactly scamper across in a sari). We entered and asked for condoms and the mean there heard contraceptive pills. Shubs at the same time asked for the honeymoon-x-itispills. He brought down the entire drawer of condoms, but he only had packets of 3. We were hoping we could get a big assorted party pack, or *snigger* family pack.
It was fun picking.... almost like choosing bangles at a stall. Unfortunately they didn't have flavoured ones. (I think the idea of a banana-flavoured, or a sausage flavoured condom for that matter, is perverse). I commented on how dusty all the packets were, and wondered aloud if they ever opened the drawer, and the man sniggered, but didn't meet my eye. How often does one get girls asking questions like that? My friend chided me saying that this was her regular chemist and she wouldn't be able to show her face there again. Mine too. Whatever. At least we're concerned about safe sex man!
They had Kohinoor, KamaSutra, Durex and some other brand. So we chose one each of all the varieties we had. That amounted to pink ones, ribbed ones, extra thin ones, dotted ones, with dots 'especially enhanced' to increase pleasure or something. HUH? dots??? i'm pretty curious now! How can dots be especially enhanced? Please enlighten. We also bought KY lubricant (it''s also called surgical gel so it's cool you don't have to feel embarassed because you can pretend your a surgical assistant!) They also showed us a female condom. Never seen one before. EWWWW. It's a weird ittle rectangular Chiclet-shaped object. You're supposed to open it or insert it in your vagina or something - I DONT KNOW - DONT TAKE THIS ENTRY TO BE THE LAST WORD ON IT I REFUSE TO GET SUED FOR UNWANTED PREGNANCY YOU BETTER READ THE INSTRUCTIONS).
Seems too risky in my opinion. I'd rather have a man use a condom - it's something you can see, so you know when it's working and when it's torn.
When we got the bill, we were amazed that condoms are SO CHEAP!!!!! Rs. 1o for a 3 pack of regular Kohinoors, Rs. 15 for a 3pack of Kohinoor extra-time, Rs 14 each for 3 packs of dotted and ribbed KS condoms respectively, and Durex, the imported ones, are the most expensive, for Rs. 25 per 3 pack (maybe because they're super thin, so more labour involved or something?!). The most expensive item on the list was the KY jelly, for Rs. 125. (this is all INR or Indian Rupees ok people!?) Quite funky no? The medicine strip of 8 tablets
Side note: Do you know you can't get over the counter Plan B/Morning-after pills here? That you need a prescription? Something must be done about that!
Not making it available isn't going to stop people from having sex, it's simply going to cause a lot of unwanted and unnecessary social problems such as teenage pregnancies, dysfunctional marriages and abandoned babies. Not to mention a lot of women our conservative hypocritical men might refuse to marry. Fear of parental/societal wrath has rarely stopped the surge of hormones. And finding a doctor who's free when you need one frankly is like waiting to get your voting card or something.
In the end,we decided against the medicine because it was too expensive (a Curan over-the-counter 8-pack, which functions as a preventive for Rs. 303), we were broke, and it's not something all girls are susceptible to anyway. We debated the possibility of chocolate, but we didn't know where to get edible chocolate or nutella from and we needed to get back to the bride.
More info on Cystitis: If you do want a CURE, there's Norflox (consult a doctor for this because it's an antibiotic, also ask for Pyridium), and herbal stuff, there's Uronil, random Kerala Ayurved medicine and cranberry capsules. To prevent, drink cranberry juice. Other preventives are to drink lots of water and pee immediately before and after sex. Also, don't use soap in your vagina. Don't be dry during sex, lubricate with a water-based lube. Is it becomes serious or chronic, do consult a doctor. The link way above has more information on herbal cures etc.
So that was my experience buying condoms for the first time ever. THANK god for poker-faced pharmacists. Don't be shy people. Buy and use condoms. Indulge in safe sex, if you're going to indulge at all, be it before or after marriage. The last thing you want is to be saddled with a baby in the best and most vibrant years with our partner.
posted by Princess Joya | 3:10 am
7 Comments:
Heavy stuff, condoms and all. Its hard to imagine Indian girls are so open sexually in Mumbai and other towns. Also, how is the enunciation done? I mean how do they learn all this? Through friends, movies?? In the US, sex is a very big thing and girls and guys wanna do it right. I never felt any such pressure in India when I was growing up, but have things changed so much, that people compare sexual performance and all that. A bit much, frankly!!
hey CO,
That's the thing, they're NOT open! Everyone knows it's happening, but no one can pinpoint who what where how, you know? We were buying condoms for a friend's wedding night, and come on, we're all 23 and postgrad students, if we don't know about protective measures, then what hope is there for the rest of the country, who do not have our privileges? Can we really trust men with all the knowledge? No. We need to be self-reliant.
Education for women mostly takes place through various media.
We learn about the sensuality of the sexual act from romance novels in senior school, about periods from mothers/the pamphlets we get in sanitary napkin packets or newspapers. I was handed the Encyclopaedia Brittanica Young adults, a series of 5 books on puberty and adolescence. Biology teachers attemppt to teach, but girls tend to giggle and not absorb much.
I don't know very much about the details of girls' experiences here. But you might want to chek out one of my November links on the sex survey that was conducted then.
The US tends to make a big coming-of-age deal of everything. No matter how prepared people are, I'm sure the first time is hurried, awkward and messy, unless one of the parties is supremely experienced.
I think you, more than me, were the last lucky generation. People are still horrifyingly ignorant though. This is scary because tehse days you never know where your partner's been... anywhere in the world. And worse, there's suddenly all this ridiculous pressure on women especially nowadays to look good and perform in every aspect of their lives.
And people only compare now because they HAVE something to compare with. There was so much more inhibition before.
My only advice to the younger generation is to abstain, and enter into a sexual relationship only after both parties are very sure about being in a monogamous relationship. "Sleeping around," however cool and convenient it is to many, is not practical and would hurt someone psychologically and maybe physically in the long-term. Restraint is the word, friends.
HEAR HEAR!!!
Too much too soon is sometimes worse than too little too late, especially in the sexual sense!
My mom always said that there's a time for everything, and the older I get, the better i understand her.
U mean to say that there is a time set to indulge in sex too???
What is late in matters of that aru?
Oh but yea I havent ever seen the variety condoms u mentioned hear!
the only time i saw a box of them was when I with my sister were exploring into my dads wardrobe...lol...that was a fun day....
Dearest Adrasteia,
I guess I just meant that there's a time for everything in life, maybe destined or whatever. With regard to sex, my personal opinion is that it should not be engaged in unless both the man and woman are physically/mentally ready, and are in love with each other. it shoudl certianly not be indulged in because of peer pressure or whatever. Because in a funny way, it IS sacred and beautiful I suppose. I mean, you're letting a stranger into your BEING, you know... something even your MOTHER hasn't seen or done. and what bond could possibly be stronger than that?
Haha, Ive had my moments too... glimpsing my dad's not-so-paternal side!
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