‘She sleeps around, he’s prepared’: Women report massive double standard for carrying condoms
Women fear judgement more than ever for producing a condom in an encounter, a new sexual health and wellness study has found.
A new 2026 study has shown that Australian women face a significant double standard when it comes to carrying condoms. When asked about other women carrying condoms, the two most common responses were that she is planning to have sex (45.4%) or that she "sleeps around" (38.6%). However, when men were questioned about carrying condoms, the most common response was that they were "prepared" (43.9%).
The study, Moments Sexual Wellness Study 2026, highlights that while women have found it easier to buy condoms, they continue to face increased judgment for doing so. Three-quarters of Australian women have hidden, disguised, or abandoned a condom purchase, and two-thirds have gone without a condom because neither person had one.
Sex educator Eleanor Hadley explained that while public perception has improved over the past decade, the private struggle remains unchanged. Women are now forced to hide condoms in various ways, such as using self-checkout, buying online, or asking someone else to purchase them. Some even choose to go without. The study's findings suggest that women are struggling to obtain a product that should be as commonplace as other everyday items, but public stigma persists.
Condom brands like Moments Wellness have responded by offering discreet delivery services and subscriptions to help women navigate this issue.
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