As Teen Advocates for SHC, (formerly known as PSI), 
we recently learned about a new barrier method, the 
dental dam. We were surprised to learn that not many 
of us knew about the dental dam and wondered if you 
felt the same way? 
A Dental Dam is a piece of latex that acts as barrier 
method for oral sex. It helps protect against 
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It is placed 
over the vagina or anus before oral sex occurs. The 
dental dam is made out of latex just like the condom. 
This type of barrier method is important because it 
stops fluids from being transmitted during oral sex, 
which protects from STD’s. 
Besides dental dams there is also, of course, the 
condom. Most of you, I believe, must be familiar with 
the condom and how many different types and brands 
there are. Knowing about all the different condoms is 
easy, but knowing which one to buy can be hard. You 
might look at the price or might have a favorite 
brand. Of all the brands, which one do you believe 
would last longer?
Luckily, there was a recent study done by Consumer 
Reports to find out which brand and type of condoms 
work better. To my surprise, it wasn’t the brand 
Trojan. The study found that the type of condom that 
worked the best was Durex Extra Sensitive Lubricated 
Latex. It scored the highest in strength and 
reliability. Durex condoms cost an average of .83 
cents each. It’s important to remember that condoms 
are the only form of contraception that prevent STDs 
and pregnancies.