# Condom Dispensers in Bathrooms **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 10, 2001, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913 "2001-07-10T04:19:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Road\_Rash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Road\_Rash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Road_Rash)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/1 "2001-07-10T04:19:34Z")
Especially at nightclubs, or bars, especially the dives, where you have dispensers. Somewhere, there will be a disclaimer that says “for amusement only,” or something that indicates they are not really to be used as a contraceptive. So I am really going to buy a “french tickler” to take it out to my buds and get a laugh. Seems to me, a dispenser at a nightclub that issues pharmacy quality condoms is an asset. A guy is doing well and can get one or two condoms. The company operating the dispenser can sell one or two condoms for about the price of 6 or 7 at the drug store. I’m sure there are legit condom machines, but what’s with the other kind? I do not really get it. ---
**Author:** ![LaBlanca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecae2f/32.png) [@LaBlanca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LaBlanca)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/2 "2001-07-10T04:27:13Z")
I started my period once unexpectedly (you’d think I’d learn…) and went into a bathroom at my university and there were condom machines, but no tampon machines. Boy, was i steamed. ---
**Author:** ![Road\_Rash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Road\_Rash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Road_Rash)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/3 "2001-07-10T04:38:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LaBlanca \* > \*\*I started my period once unexpectedly (you’d think I’d learn…) and went into a bathroom at my university and there were condom machines, but no tampon machines. Boy, was i steamed. \*\* Did the machine have the face of a blond chick with her mouth open in ectasy for a "Ribbed French Tickler? ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/4 "2001-07-10T04:50:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LaBlanca \* > \*\*I started my period once unexpectedly (you’d think I’d learn…) and went into a bathroom at my university and there were condom machines, but no tampon machines. Boy, was i steamed. \*\* but it would be in bad taste :o Of course I could ask if you’re sure you were in the right bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![williambaskerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@williambaskerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williambaskerville)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/5 "2001-07-10T16:09:21Z")
More or less off-topic, but I was reminded of the story and had to tell it. Way back in the dark ages (1970’s), condoms were completely illegal in the Republic of Ireland. There was a persistent, urban-mythish story about some bar owner in Dublin (bar never specified) who had installed a condom machine in the ladies lavatory. How was this legal, you ask ? He never stocked it and had rigged it to accept money even though it was empty. Supposedly, the percentage of women (ladies lavatory, remember) who could face the embarrasment of going to get a refund was so small it was a very profitable exercise, and of course completely legal since it never actually dispensed condoms. ---
**Author:** ![williambaskerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@williambaskerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williambaskerville)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/6 "2001-07-10T16:18:56Z")
More or less off-topic, but I was reminded of the story and had to tell it. Way back in the dark ages (1970’s), condoms were completely illegal in the Republic of Ireland. There was a persistent, urban-mythish story about some bar owner in Dublin (bar never specified) who had installed a condom machine in the ladies lavatory. How was this legal, you ask ? He never stocked it and had rigged it to accept money even though it was empty. Supposedly, the percentage of women (ladies lavatory, remember) who could face the embarrasment of going to get a refund was so small it was a very profitable exercise, and of course completely legal since it never actually dispensed condoms. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/7 "2001-07-10T16:21:06Z")
I don’t know if you realized this, but condom’s aren’t intended for contraceptive purposes. They’re labelled, “for prevention of spread of disease ONLY” for a reason. There are thousands of people walking the surface of the planet who owe their lives to the fact that their parents or grandparents trusted the condom to prevent pregnancy. I would guess that French Ticklers et al. don’t even necessarily protect vs. disease very well, which is why they’re labelled as for entertainment purposes. Plus, if you’re using one and you’re not being entertained, you’re doing something wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/8 "2001-07-10T16:25:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by williambaskerville \* > \*\*More or less off-topic, but I was reminded of the story and had to tell it. > > Way back in the dark ages (1970’s), condoms were completely illegal in the Republic of Ireland. There was a persistent, urban-mythish story about some bar owner in Dublin (bar never specified) who had installed a condom machine in the ladies lavatory. How was this legal, you ask ? He never stocked it and had rigged it to accept money even though it was empty. Supposedly, the percentage of women (ladies lavatory, remember) who could face the embarrasment of going to get a refund was so small it was a very profitable exercise, and of course completely legal since it never actually dispensed condoms. \*\* Wasn’t there a law against **fraud** in Ireland? ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Crude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/9 "2001-07-10T16:50:43Z")
Ethilrist wrote: > [@](#): > > I don’t know if you realized this, but condom’s aren’t intended for contraceptive purposes. They’re labelled, “for prevention of spread of disease ONLY” for a reason. There are thousands of people walking the surface of the planet who owe their lives to the fact that their parents or grandparents trusted the condom to prevent pregnancy. Never in my life have I seen condoms labeled “for prevention of spread of disease ONLY.” Most sources (I don’t have one just this moment) point out that condoms are between 80-90% effective in preventing pregnancy if used properly. The only things that do better than that are birth control pills (98-99%) and abstinence (100%, but no fun at all). Condoms are just about as good at preventing the spread of disease, but aren’t foolproof in that respect either. And remember that condoms’ original purpose was to prevent pregnancy, which they’ve done fairly well for the past millennium or so – it’s hardly a new idea. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/10 "2001-07-10T17:42:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\*I don’t know if you realized this, but condom’s aren’t intended for contraceptive purposes. They’re labelled, “for prevention of spread of disease ONLY” for a reason. > \*\* They are??? _looks at back of condom box_ > [@](#): > > If used properly, **Durex** latex condoms will help reduce risk of _unwanted pregnancies_ [emphasis mine] and catching or spreading HIV infection (AIDS) and many other sexually transmitted diseases. Seems like they are good for both to me. I would guess that the “for entertainment purposes only” and “for prevention of spread of disease only” labels stem from a time when sales of birth control devices weren’t universally supported by the general community. (Perhaps they were illegal in some places?) I know that the condom machines that I have seen that have the “for entertainment purposes only” label look pretty darn old. I hope the condoms inside aren’t that old! Or, perhaps it’s just to avoid lawsuits. ---
**Author:** ![Dog\_Wonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@Dog\_Wonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog_Wonder)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/11 "2001-07-10T17:51:11Z")
Contraceptive laws are less strict nowadays than they were 30 years ago when these machines first started turning up in restrooms. I suspect the “for prevention of spread of disease only” disclaimer was to circumvent draconian state laws on the books at that time which forbade dispensing contraceptives (without a doctors prescription). ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/12 "2001-07-10T19:05:01Z")
Off topic: Never in my life have I seen condoms labeled “for prevention of spread of disease ONLY.” Most sources (I don’t have one just this moment) point out that condoms are between 80-90% effective in preventing pregnancy if used properly. The only things that do better than that are birth control pills (98-99%) and abstinence (100%, but no fun at all). What does this mean that condoms are only 80% to 90% effective. Every time you use them there is a 10% to 20% chance of getting pregnant? That is clearly not the case. Lets say for the sake of argument that Mr. and Mrs. gazpacho hit the hay once a week. Assuming 10% chance that the condom fails and she gets pregnant there is a .4% chance over the course of a year that she will not get pregnant. Clearly we are pretty lucky with this method of birth control. But wait I seem to remember from some filmstrip in fifth grade that there about only 3 days during the month when a woman can get pregnant so lets assume that only 1/10 (3 out of thirty days) of the time will the condom failing cause pregnancy so instead of 52 chances there are only 5 now the probability of not getting pregnant is 59%. If we push our luck to two years the probabilities are: .0017% and 35% We still seem to be pretty lucky as we have been married for three years giving us a high end probability of 21% chance of not getting pregnant. Does any body know the answer to what the 80% to 90% means? ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/13 "2001-07-10T19:13:20Z")
Well, there is this [columnist](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_216a.html)… ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2001, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/14 "2001-07-11T00:49:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cap’n Crude \* > \*\* > Most sources (I don’t have one just this moment) point out that condoms are between 80-90% effective in preventing pregnancy if used properly. The only things that do better than that are birth control pills (98-99%) and abstinence (100%, but no fun at all). > > \*\* Errr, does oral sex count as abstinence? ---
**Author:** ![MrDeath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@MrDeath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDeath)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2001, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/15 "2001-07-11T01:40:09Z")
The ‘percent effective’ percentage associated with each method of contraception is determined by taking 100% and subtracting the ‘12-month failure rate’, or the percentage of couples who, using the method _every time they have sex_ will have a pregnancy over the course of a 12-month period. It is _not_ the chance you’ll get pregnant from a single sexual contact with the method in question. Although the pill is 99+% effective if used correctly, in practice it has a 12-month failure rate of about 9%. The most practically effective method of contraception is implants and injectables, which are 96-98% effective. The (male) condom is about 85% effective in typical use (with proper use and lubrication, this goes up dramatically). Source: [the AMA](http://www.ama-assn.org/special/contra/library/readroom/other99/futext.htm). **kalashnikov** : Oral sex/mutual masturbation counts as abstinence if you’re careful about where the semen winds up. But don’t tell your priest. ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Crude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2001, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/16 "2001-07-11T04:58:01Z")
MrDeath wrote: > [@](#): > > **kalashnikov:** Oral sex/mutual masturbation counts as abstinence if you’re careful about where the semen winds up. But don’t tell your priest. Why worry about what you tell your priest? They’re already safe – altar boys can’t get pregnant. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![catmandu42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@catmandu42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catmandu42)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2001, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condom-dispensers-in-bathrooms/71913/17 "2001-07-11T05:07:05Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by kalashnikov \* \*\* > [@](#): > > Errr, does oral sex count as abstinence? \*\* Well, according to former Pres. Clinton, why yessir-indeedy it does!