Re:Horses for courses (Score 3, Insightful)

To speak as a condom salesman (I run an online condom store http://www.xessentials.co.uk/) the "Delay" type of condom is VERY popular, at least here in the UK. Durex, Condomi and Safex all have them (with Benzocaine/Polyvalent Alcohols as the "active ingredient").

Delay condoms are our second biggest sellers after extra thin condoms (i.e. the exact opposite for people who want MORE sensation during sex with a condom), with many repeat visitors buying them over and over again (so they obviously work for some people).

The trouble with the media is that any condom that dares to stray from the straight, plain variety is immediately viewed as perverted, weird or unsafe. However the truth is that people have a wide variety of penises, sexual needs and sexual preferences. So more innovation to find condoms that suite the individual is needed to help encourage condom use and stem the growing tide of STI's and unwanted pregnancies. Thats why we currently stock over 50 different types.

I know this may seem like a shameless plug, but with governments (and society in general much of the time) burying their heads in the sand, it gets left to us commercial types to try and do their jobs for them and get condom discussions on the table. And of course with "reputable" media like the Guardian calling it all "bad science" its going to be an uphill struggle...