You may have seen this push in the past decade for “vegan condoms.” We're going to be real with you; when we, the carnivores that we are, initially saw a vegan condom, we thought to ourselves, “Why do we need this?” We figured it was simply a marketing ploy capitalizing on being eco-friendly and cruelty-free. But then we got a little worried—how are condoms not vegan? Isn’t it just latex, and isn’t latex rubber? (And doesn’t rubber just come from trees?) 

How are there somehow animal byproducts (making them not vegan) in condoms? What are they doing there? 

So we did some research. There are lambskin condoms, which are obviously not vegan. Also, “lambskin” is somewhat of a misnomer as lambskin condoms aren’t made from the skin of lambs, but rather, the cecum [large intestinal pouch] of lambs. (Yes, very gross). Then there are a few brands that do non-latex condoms, but they are few and far between. 

The vast majority of condoms are made from latex, and most of these latex condoms contain casein. During production, condoms rest in a casein bath, which is done to soften the latex. It helps explain why condoms, though latex, don’t have the same texture as, say, a latex gimp suit. 

But here’s the thing about dipping condoms in casein that’s not spoken about—it’s what gives condoms that nasty smell. So vegan condoms don’t have that weird condom-y stank. It’s what also makes condoms less opaque. So vegan condoms tend to be clearer and more see-through, giving the illusion of not being there, which can be helpful to many men who struggle with using condoms. Sometimes, simply seeing a condom is enough to make a guy lose his erection, so the illusion of it not being there can, psychologically, actually help a man stay hard.

But there are also some health benefits to you and your partner. While not all, most vegan condom brands don’t use harmful chemicals like nitrosamines, spermicide, petroleum, paraben, or glycerin. While that might not sound like a big deal, these chemicals can cause yeast infections and urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women, Johns Hopkins notes. No woman likes getting a UTI and having to take antibiotics. And no man wants to have to stop having sex because his girlfriend got a UTI. Vegan condoms help to fix this problem.  

Then, of course, there are all the other better-known benefits of being vegan. It means the products aren’t tested on animals, and they’re more sustainable and eco-friendly, as they are made from natural rubber latex from sustainably grown forests. 

So yeah, it turns out vegan condoms are actually legit. They smell better. They look better. And every time you have sex, you can feel like you’re doing your part in saving the world.  

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