Are novelty condoms less effective than regular ones?
Not necessarily — as long as a condom’s label indicates that it can be used for disease prevention, then by law it has passed FDA-mandated tests. But some condoms you’ll find in sex shops don’t carry the disease prevention claim and may even be labeled “for novelty use only,” meaning they may not meet FDA standards. Also, many gag love gloves are made out of materials other than latex, such as polyurethane, “but latex condoms are the most effective against STDs, including HIV,” says Rebecca Wind, a spokesperson for the Alan Guttmacher Institute. The bottom line: Read the directions prior to doing the deed.
