# Does condom use detract from pornography? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 13, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865 "2007-06-13T15:45:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/1 "2007-06-13T15:45:14Z")
For some reason or another I don’t enjoy watching porn where the men wear condoms as much as that without. Am I strange or does anyone else feel the same way? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/2 "2007-06-13T15:51:24Z")
Same way. Then again, I tend to seek out porn (or have it thrust upon me) where fucking is not the main event. Condom use tends to be unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/3 "2007-06-13T21:14:19Z")
Same as the OP. I understand why they use them, but they make me think of gruesome skin diseases. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/4 "2007-06-13T21:24:44Z")
I stopped renting one of my favorite series when they started mandatory condom use. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/5 "2007-06-13T21:30:07Z")
Yes. Kinda goes against the whole point of the exercise. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/6 "2007-06-13T21:48:29Z")
One of the videos from that great free porn site shows two girls going at it with a fake dong, and they actually put condoms on both ends of it, and didn’t appear to be doing it as gag. In that case it really sort of took away from the mood, if you will, but I soldiered on. 😉 Do they really get passed around that much? And couldn’t a good washing take away any possibility of contamination? Or am I out of touch? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/7 "2007-06-13T22:06:33Z")
It doesn’t detract nearly as much as: -Huge dragon-lady acrylic nails -Painfully huge fake boobs -Obviously dry, unexcited vaginas -Ugly guys wearing their watches (Guess what gender I am! 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/8 "2007-06-13T23:09:24Z")
Condom use enhances porn for me, because I feel like the people engaging in the sex acts aren’t being treated like pieces of meat (well, quite as much). ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/9 "2007-06-13T23:18:47Z")
Condom enhances for me, too. Why should people risk some pretty horrible diseases just for my entertainment? It would make me feel like a piece of shit to think that was OK. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/10 "2007-06-13T23:20:44Z")
It doesn’t bother me. I guess it makes it seem more realistic to me but I might feel differently if I was a guy. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/11 "2007-06-13T23:33:56Z")
[QUOTE=Unauthorized Cinnamon] It doesn’t detract nearly as much as: -Huge dragon-lady acrylic nails -Painfully huge fake boobs -Obviously dry, unexcited vaginas -Ugly guys wearing their watches (Guess what gender I am! 😉 ) [/QUOTE] Dunno, but all of those are turn-offs for me, and I’m male. I’d vote for no condoms, because it feels better that way, and this matters because (1) if I’m going to watch porn, I want to vicariously experience what the guy onscreen is experiencing, and (2) the more fun the performers are having, the more fun it is to watch. Of course, I’d hope that steps would be taken to ensure nobody has any nasty diseases (testing, etc.). Since porn is fantasy anyway, I’d rather see a fantasy world in which nobody worries about STD—assuming the appropriate worrying has already been done offscreen, before the fantasy begins. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/12 "2007-06-13T23:59:09Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] One of the videos from that great free porn site shows two girls going at it with a fake dong, and they actually put condoms on both ends of it, and didn’t appear to be doing it as gag. [/QUOTE] What did the dong appear to be made of? Some of the cheaper fake dong materials are considered to be somewhat questionable, either due to their chemical makeup or their porous nature. So even if it’s your own personal toy, and you don’t share it and you’re careful about keeping it clean, you’re better off putting a condom on it. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/13 "2007-06-14T00:18:14Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] \Of course, I’d hope that steps would be taken to ensure nobody has any nasty diseases (testing, etc.). \ [/QUOTE] It is my personal opinion that testing for STDs in the porn industry is a super-great thing, but nothing substitutes for the safety of condoms. You can be infected and infectious for a while before it shows up on a screening test, and then there’s the unscrupulous producers/actors who just don’t give a damn. Plain ol’ genital warts are present in about 75% of the population, and there are no reliable tests for non-active warts and herpes. I want to see condoms in use for high-risk professionals. (I’m a real prude about my porn, apparently. 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/14 "2007-06-14T00:33:23Z")
[QUOTE=Jeep’s Phoenix] What did the dong appear to be made of? Some of the cheaper fake dong materials are considered to be somewhat questionable, either due to their chemical makeup or their porous nature. So even if it’s your own personal toy, and you don’t share it and you’re careful about keeping it clean, you’re better off putting a condom on it. [/QUOTE] Some sort of really flexible rubbery substance. So the joke about being so worried about VD you put a condom on you dildo is true? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/15 "2007-06-14T00:55:42Z")
Hope you’re not watching stuff made around the major porn star AIDS outbreaks. That has got to ruin the mood. (Many actors get tested for STDs monthly, but as we all know HIV tests can come up negative and then positive months later with no sexual activity in between) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Hildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Johnny\_Hildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Hildo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/16 "2007-06-14T01:00:06Z")
Don’t see what the big deal is, since they always take the condom off before the money shot anyway. Although when you take off the condom in order to ejaculate all over the woman’s vagina, that’s gotta defeat the safe sex aspect a bit. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/17 "2007-06-14T01:57:16Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] Some sort of really flexible rubbery substance. So the joke about being so worried about VD you put a condom on you dildo is true? 🙂 [/QUOTE] I’m not sure about VD, but some materials are porous enough that they’re impossible to clean properly; at the least, they can become a cozy home for bacteria. Some materials can be boiled or placed in the dishwasher for cleaning. There’s a picture out there of a dishwasher containing an impressive dildo collection… ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/18 "2007-06-14T02:01:07Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] Some sort of really flexible rubbery substance. So the joke about being so worried about VD you put a condom on you dildo is true? 🙂 [/QUOTE] Rubber is very porous, and STDs aren’t the only concern–someone else’s bacteria which don’t bother them may cause an infection if they get into your body. On preview, I see that **Jeep’s Phoenix** came back and beat me to that, but I’ll let it stand. I don’t think condom use detracts. I agree with **featherlou** and **Evil Captor** –I don’t like the idea that someone risked their health for my entertainment. I also don’t like the things that **Unauthorized Cinnamon** listed–especially the nails and boobs. Way to ruin a good girl/girl scene–have girls with those long fake nails in them. All I can think is, “Ouch!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/19 "2007-06-14T02:02:02Z")
Yes, we’re suspending disbelief here. If we wanted reality the \ ‘actresses’ would be much homelier. Porn that tries to promote social responsibility with titles like _Ass Bangers IV_ is a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865/20 "2007-06-14T02:55:51Z")
[QUOTE=Sitnam] Yes, we’re suspending disbelief here. If we wanted reality the \ ‘actresses’ would be much homelier. Porn that tries to promote social responsibility with titles like _Ass Bangers IV_ is a joke. [/QUOTE] What do you mean by that? Actresses can get fake boobs without harming themselves, they can get plastic surgery without harming themselves, but STDs are fucking DANGEROUS. It’s not a “suspension of disbelief” thing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-condom-use-detract-from-pornography/407865.md?page=2)