Condom Facts
Other names you may've heard for condoms are prophylactics or rubbers. Whatever you call them, if you're having sex, please use them! Besides abstinence, they are the best protection against pregnancy, STD/Is & HIV/AIDS.
Condoms are most often latex, but some are polyurethane & polyisoprene. A female condom is also available in polyurethane. Allergic reactions to latex condoms are rare, but they do occur. Changing to condoms made of polyurethane may help.
Click here for more information on allergic reactions.
Polyurethane can be considered better than latex in several ways: it conducts heat better, it isn't as sensitive to temperature & ultraviolet light, so it has less rigid storage requirements & a longer shelf life, it can be used with oil-based lubricants, it's less allergenic than latex and doesn't have an odor. However, they're less elastic than latex, & may be more likely to slip or break, and are more expensive.
Standard male latex condoms have the advantage of being inexpensive, easy to find & use, with few side effects.
See below for links to access birth control.
Condoms Work!
Like all birth control methods, condoms are more effective when you use them correctly. If a condom is used regularly & correctly, it'll prevent pregnancy 98% of the time!
With proper knowledge, application & use at every act of intercourse, women whose partners use male condoms experience a 2% per-year pregnancy rate. Meaning, each year, only 2 out of 100 women whose partners use condoms will become pregnant if they always use condoms correctly.
The actual effectiveness among typical users is only 82-90%. Annually 15 out of 100 women whose partners use condoms will become pregnant, if they don't always use condoms correctly.
You can make condoms more effective if you pull out before ejaculation.
How to Use a Condom
Click here or the image above, to watch a video from Planned Parenthood to learn how to put on a condom.
Practice Makes Perfect! It's best if both you & your partner know how to put on and use a condom. It'll make using a condom easier, more pleasurable & will make the condom more effective. Practice putting on & taking off a condom on a penis or a penis-shaped object, like a ketchup bottle, banana, cucumber or carrot. With a little practice, condoms are very easy to use.
1) Use a condom only once! Use a fresh one for each erection ("hard-on"). Have a good supply on hand.
2) Read & understand the instructions. Check the expiration date on the package. If it is torn, brittle, stiff or sticky, throw it away & use another. Long exposure to air, heat, and light makes them more likely to break. Store them in a cool, dry place, not in a back pocket, wallet or glove compartment for extended periods.
3) Put the condom on before the penis touches the vulva, anus or mouth. Males leak fluids from their penises before & after ejaculation. This fluid can pass STD/Is & possibly cause pregnancy.
4) Be careful you don't rip the condom when opening the package. Don't use your teeth or sharp objects, like scissors, to open it up.
5) Make sure the tip of the condom points through the ring in a way that will let it roll down. (Pull back the foreskin, unless the penis is circumcised.)
6) Put a drop or two of water-based lubricant inside the condom. (Don't use a petroleum-based substance such as Vaseline. Those substances break down latex.)
7) Place the rolled condom on the head of the penis.
8) Leave a half inch space to collect semen. Pinch the air out of the tip with one hand.
9) Unroll the condom over the penis with the other hand.
10) Roll the condom down over the tip of the hard penis.
11) Smooth out air bubbles. Friction against air bubbles can cause condom breaks. Add water-based lubricant to the outside, if necessary.
12) After ejaculation, pull out before the penis softens.
13) Hold the condom against the base of the penis while pulling out (away from your partner) to prevent semen from spilling.
14) Always throw out condoms after one use. Flushing a condom down the toilet may clog plumbing. Instead, wrap it in tissue, tie in a knot or put it in a plastic bag, before throwing them away. Put the condom in a garbage that is out of reach of children & pets.
15) Wipe any ejaculate off the penis & wash it with soap and water before having sex play again.
If the Condom Breaks…
Sometimes condoms break, if it does, it's less effective. Males should be able to tell if a condom breaks. To learn what it feels like, men can break condoms on purpose while masturbating.
If the condom breaks during intercourse, pull out quickly & replace it. Remember, ejaculation does not have to occur for a pregnancy to result or for a disease to be transmitted. Pre-ejaculatory fluids can contain active sperm.
If the condom breaks & semen leaks out, wash the semen away from the vulva or penis with soap & water.
If ejaculation occurs with a broken condom &/or semen leaks into the vagina, emergency contraception (Morning After Pill) is a good option.
Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy if started up to five days after unprotected intercourse. The sooner you start it, the better it will work!
Click here for more information on emergency contraception.