Male condoms are one of the most commonly used forms of birth control.1 In fact, more than 400 million condoms are sold in the United States each year.They are simple enough to use correctly, but it's easy to use a condom the wrong way if you're not aware of the need to check for and do certain things.A product instruction sheet is a good place to start, but it doesn't detail everything you need to know to make your sex safer. This article reviews how to use male condoms properly and includes photos of things you should do and avoid. 1.Check the Expiration DateThe first step to using a condom correctly is making certain it's still usable.It's important to check...
What Are Condoms?Condoms are thin pouches that keep sperm from getting into the vagina. There are male condoms and female condoms:A male condom is worn on the penis. It is usually made of latex, a type of rubber. But some are made of materials that are safe for people with latex allergies, such as polyurethane or polyisoprene.A female condom is inserted into the vagina. It has a flexible ring at either end. One end is closed and goes into the vagina; the other end is open and the ring sits outside the opening of the vagina. Female condoms are made from materials safe for people with latex allergies. How Do Condoms Work?Condoms work by keeping semen (the fluid that contains...
Recently, a urologist and pelvic surgeon Dr. Rena Malik makes accessible YouTube content with the goal of helping people have a healthier sex life. In the video, she breaks down some of the most pervasive myths and misconceptions surrounding condoms, and explains everything you need to know in order to make an informed choice about contraception in order to prevent unwanted pregnancy and STDs. Condoms are "unreliable" "When used correctly, condoms are 98 percent effective at preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases," says Malik. "However if you are not using it correctly, it could break, reducing the efficacy to 92 percent." She explains that you should always check the expiration date on a condom wrapper before using it, and clarifies that condoms...
Expiration and effectivenessCondoms do expire and using one that’s past its expiry date can greatly reduce condom effectiveness.Expired condoms are often drier and weaker, so they’re more likely to break during intercourse. This puts you and your partner at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or unwanted pregnancy.Male condoms that haven’t expired are about 98 percent effective if you use them perfectly every time you have sex. No one is perfect, though, so male condoms that haven’t expired are actually about 85 percent effective. These figures will drop drastically if the condom’s expired.The average shelf life of a condom is three to five years, depending on the manufacturer and how it’s stored. Read on to learn more about why they...
Condom Measurement Many men struggle to find a condom that’s the right size for their penis and wind up wearing condoms that are either too large or too small. This can lead to problems during sex, such as the condom slipping or falling off or the condom being painfully tight around the penis, meaning that you won’t be able to feel much at all. Before we can talk about which size of condoms you should be using, we’re going to have to see how you measure up. So, grab a tape measure, ruler, meter stick or whatever else you need to measure your penis and let’s get started. When you’re measuring your penis to work out your condom size, you’re...
