We Finally Found a Condom That Doesn’t Make Your Vagina Itch
· Vice
I will never forget the day I learned that condoms can have toxic ingredients. Like, why in the f*ck is the FDA approving harmful products that legit go directly inside of you? Would a surgeon enter the OR without scrubbing in? I don’t think so. So why are we expected to accept that treatment?
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Then, I stumbled upon a Reddit post while doing my quarterly condom experiment update. “Girlfriend irritated from condom use, I’m assuming. Need help, PLEASE.” You know it’s bad when the men are complaining, so I immediately scrolled and found reviewers were raving about one brand in particular: JEMS’ ultra-thin condoms. So, of course, I had to finally test it and figure out: Is JEMS actually a good option for sensitive vulvas?
JEMS was founded by Canadian women who had had enough of harmful sex products and a male-centered market. Their about page reads: “We’re in the era of keeping toxic people and products at bay.” But that’s obviously easier said than delivered on. Alas, they set out to be the most transparent, vegan, and ultra-sensitive, ultra-thin condom possible on the market. (Also, while tackling that God-awful rubbery smell).
If you’re wondering just how serious the secret ingredients rage is, prepare for a reviewer storytime that solidified one (unnamed) condom brand as a “never touch” for sensitive hoohas.
JEMS ultra-thin condoms at a Glance
- Best For: Everyone, especially sensitive vulvas.
- Pros: Non-toxic ingredients. Ingredient transparency that rivals other brands. Barely there feel. Odorless.
- Cons: Not as widely available outside of Amazon as it’s a newer brand. But if you like seamless shipping on Prime, this will match your lifestyle.
- Price: $12.99 for a 12-pk
Jems Ultra Thin Condoms (opens in a new window)
$12.99 at Amazon Buy Now (opens in a new window)A QUICK NOTE ON Toxic condoms
Every year, thousands of women flock to forums trying to figure out why their sex lives are being disrupted by irritation. For some reason, every time they f*ck, they’re uncomfortable for the next few days and may even get a yeast infection. Red skin, unsexy itching, the whole 9.
In the past year, however, a shit ton of women hopped on Reddit to see if anyone else was experiencing burning, itching, and/or yeast infections after using a specific condom brand. Turns out the brand added fragrance to their once-holy-grail products. What was once a go-to became a silent cause of the very things women were trying to avoid, from yeast infections to rashes.
The added fragrance was meant to get rid of the components that result in an “after sex” smell so your room isn’t left smelling like sweaty balls and rubbery balloons. However, the fragrance highlighted an ongoing issue with the condom industry: sent hella women into an orbit (myself included), with some swearing against any of the brand’s products. Moves like these are why I test condoms quarterly to make sure what we recommend is always tested – especially for sensitive girlies.
How I Tested JEMS’ Ultra-Thin Condom
As a woman with a sensitive vulva, this test was a mental doozy. Obviously, we have to test each condom option before giving it our stamp of approval or chucking it. So, if you’re seeing a condom on here. That means it’s tried and true.
To start, I spent way too much time hidden in Reddit threads, attempting to get a pulse check on what everyone swears by. On r/HealthyHooHaa, women have shared their reviews on the best condoms for sensitive vulvas – and lubes, too. Sometimes, you’ll get a random gynecologist recommendation. While on r/AskMen, men are more focused on naming condoms that slip off, break, suffocate their dicks, and generally just don’t feel pleasurable.
According to the forum, JEMS condoms are a top-tier option beloved by hetero couples. But, I still needed to check out a few things: did it give me that uncomfortable itch that refused to go away until about a day after sex? Did I have an “unexpected” yeast infection after sex? Was there any abnormal vaginal dryness, burning, or swelling?
To do so, I tracked my vulva’s feelings daily for three days on the regular. That was my baseline. No irritation, skin isn’t red or inflamed, I have no itch that I just can’t scratch. Nada. Then, when it was time to test, I Ubered straight to my lover’s house (because I knew the chances of being wine drunk were on the horizon). Per usual, my horny ass didn’t even finish a glass of wine before getting spicy and taking this for a kinky spin.
MY Verdict
My lover has a rather large…. member, and these worked just fine. But if you’re one of the chosen few having sex with 9inch+ dicks, you might want to test first, before having rough sex. And also say a prayer because, ow.
Now, for the after-sex feel. Sometimes, condoms give a bad aftertaste and afterfeel. Post sex, I didn’t have that internal itch I just couldn’t reach that fragranced condoms leave me with.
If your vagina freaks out over mystery chemicals, not latex, JEMS is a must-cop. Just as the branding claims, the formula is stripped down to the bare essentials, slicked with silicone, and totally free of the usual bullshit that can leave you itchy, dry, or silently plotting revenge mid-hookup. No, it’s not a magical cure-all, but if your body has a “hard no” list a mile long, this is one of the few condoms that doesn’t try to sneak anything past it.
They’re still latex, though. So if you’re truly latex-sensitive or allergic, this isn’t your holy grail. Even without added irritants, latex itself can still trigger discomfort for some people. Also, one-size-only can be limiting depending on your partner’s fit needs.
The next time we f*cked, we tried using a little bit of JEMS’ lube (had to do a separate experiment as not to taint the data pool!) and I legitimately felt nothing different down there. No itch, no redness from irritation. The only sore thing was my legs because they’d been behind my head for days, testing JEMS’ products.
Despite these being ultra-thin, they didn’t break, so we only used one. Also, for a condom with this much lube, I’m surprised it didn’t slip off???
Now, this tip hasn’t been tested by me and was allegedly recommended to one Reddit user by her gyno. One Redditor recommended, “JEMS paired with Überlube. Turns out I don’t have a latex allergy. Just shitty condoms out there. I swear to god if SKYN contributed to my recurring UTIs, I’m gonna flame them so hard.” Another added, “I swear by Überlube. My gyno is the one who recommended it to me.”
In comparison to other sensitive skin condoms I’ve used (like SKYN or Trojan GOAT), I preferred this one the best.
FINAL WORD
Our verdict? Immediately yes.
The stripped-down formula was a perfect match for my moody vagina. I had no general irritation, skin redness, or need to stop having sex for a few days due to this. (That’s common for me).
Remember that Redditor who shared that they might not even be allergic to latex, because using JEMS paired with Überlube did the trick? We didn’t have the same issues but I’ve come to realize the lube and fragrance in condoms might be what’s irritating my vulva after all. Not latex.
However, if you do have an officially diagnosed latex allergy, skip these for now, but consult your doctor.
(opens in a new window) Jems for AllJems Ultra Thin Condoms (opens in a new window)
$12.99 at Amazon Buy Now (opens in a new window)The post We Finally Found a Condom That Doesn’t Make Your Vagina Itch appeared first on VICE.