A condom is a thin, fitted tube worn over the penis during sex (male condoms) or inserted into the vagina before sex (female condoms).
Condoms can help prevent pregnancies and STDs.
They create a barrier that keeps semen and other body fluids out of the vagina, rectum, or mouth. You might hear a condom called a rubber or the barrier method.
Don’t use male and female condoms at the same time. One can stick to the other and pull it out of place or tear it.
Condom Effectiveness
How well a condom works depends a lot on whether you use it the right way.
When used properly, male condoms are about 98% effective at preventing pregnancy. This means that in one year, 2 out of every 100 women whose partners always use condoms correctly will get pregnant. That number rises to 18 out of every 100 women whose partners don’t use the condom correctly every time.
Female condoms are about 95% effective when used properly. They work only 79% of the time if you don’t use them right.
Condoms also greatly lower the chances that one person will pass an STD to the other. The exact risk varies by the type of disease. For example, condoms are almost 100% effective at protecting against HIV.
But HPV, the most common sexually transmitted disease, can infect areas that a male condom doesn’t cover, like the scrotum. Condoms lower the risk of HPV infection, but they don’t get rid of it.
Types of Condoms
There are many types of male condoms, including:
* Latex, plastic, or lambskin. Most people use condoms made of latex. If you’re sensitive or allergic to that material, you can use ones made of plastic: polyurethane or polyisoprene. Latex and plastic condoms can protect you from STDs during any kind of sex: vaginal, oral, and anal. Natural or lambskin condoms are made of material that comes from lamb intestines. They prevent pregnancy, but like human skin, they have tiny openings. So they don’t protect you from STDs.
* Lubricated. Lubrication, or lube, is a thin coating of liquid on the condom. It can prevent pain and irritation during sex, and it can help keep the condom from breaking. If you buy one that doesn’t already have lube on it, you’ll probably want to add some lube to make sex more comfortable. Make sure you use a water-based product that’s meant for sex. Oil-based lubricants like petroleum jelly can damage the condom and keep it from working.
* Spermicide-coated. This is a chemical, called nonoxynol-9 that kills sperm. Some condoms are sold coated with it. This may lower the risk of pregnancy, but the amount of spermicide that comes with a condom probably isn’t enough to make a difference. If you want extra protection, add a separate sperm-killing product. Nonoxynol-9 can irritate your genitals, which could make you more likely to get HIV.
* Textured condoms. These include ribbed and studded types. They’re meant to boost the pleasure for you or your partner. But how it makes you feel could be different from what someone else enjoys. If a condom keeps you or your partner from enjoying sex, try textured ones to see if they feel better. You can also make putting on the condom part of foreplay
You might also find glow-in-the-dark or other novelty condoms. But be careful: These kinds typically aren’t FDA-approved and may not prevent pregnancies or STDs. Make sure the package clearly states that the product guards against both.
How to Use Condoms
Male condoms
- Carefully open the wrapper and take out the condom.
- Place it on the tip of your fully erect penis. If you’re uncircumcised, pull back the foreskin first.
- Pinch the air out of the tip of the condom.
- Unroll it all the way down your penis.
- When sex is finished, hold the condom in place at the base of your penis while you pull out.
- Remove it and throw it in the trash.
Female condoms
- Carefully open the wrapper and take out the condom.
- Get in a comfortable position, such as standing with one foot on a chair or squatting.
- Squeeze the sides of the inner ring at the closed end of the condom.
- Insert the condom into your vagina like you would a tampon.
- Push the condom in as far as it will go, until it rests against your cervix. The outer ring will hang outside your body slightly.
- Use your hand to guide your partner’s penis into the condom.
- When sex is finished, twist the outer ring and pull it out. Throw it in the trash.
Tips for Proper Male Condom Use
You can put a male condom on at any time before or during sex.
* Make sure you don’t tear the condom when you open the package.
* Throw it out if it’s brittle, stiff, sticky, or expired.
* Put it on after your penis is erect and before it touches any part of your partner.
* Keep it on the entire time, from start to finish.
* Use a new one every time. That means for every erection.
* If the condom doesn’t have a reservoir tip, pinch the end to leave about a half-inch of space to collect the semen when you ejaculate.
* If you feel it break or tear during sex, stop right away, pull out, and put on a new condom.
* When you remove it, make sure the semen doesn’t spill out.
Tips for Proper Female Condom Use
You should insert the condom before you plan to have sex.
* Put lubricant on the outside of the closed end to help it go in easier.
* Make sure the condom doesn’t get twisted when you put it in.
* Stop if you feel your partner’s penis slipping between the condom and your body, if the outer ring gets pushed into your body, or if you feel the condom slip out of place.
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Medically reviewed by Brunilda Nazario (a Medical Doctor) on December 15, 2020.