How Do Condoms Break

How Do Condoms Break
You're probably using oil-based lubricants that don't go with latex.
You stored them in the wrong place.
What can you do if a condom breaks during sex?
How can you keep this from happening?
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No feeling is quite as stomach-dropping as realizing there's a hole in the condom you and bae just used during sex. Cue the freakout, and the questions about how it even happened to begin with. Turns out, there are several reasons condoms are likely to break during sex. According to sexologist Dr. Nikki Goldstein , condoms can break if they're expired, if they've been kept in the heat, if there's too much friction and not enough lubricant during sex, and if you're using the wrong size rubber — and that's just a few of the reasons. But luckily, a condom breaking doesn't happen as often as you may think.
"Majority of studies have shown that condom breakage or falling off are fairly rare, however, there is a wide variety of data ranging from 0-22 percent of the time," obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Sheila Loanzon tells Elite Daily. "Condoms break approximately 2 percent of the time with vaginal intercourse, [and there's a] slightly higher risk of breakage and slippage during anal intercourse. If your partner reports that the condom seems to break more frequently, it may be imperative to review technique to make sure the condom is being properly applied."
If you happen to find yourself falling into one of the 0-22 percent of people who experience a condom breaking during sex, fret not. There are ways to prevent pregnancy and STDs, which may be two of your biggest concerns post-breakage. But before we get to that, here are six reasons why the condom broke in the first place, so you know what to do to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Fun fact: Like almost everything else in this world, condoms do have an expiration date , people! And if your condom breaks, one of the reasons why may very well be because it's past its expiration date. "Most expirations dates are printed on the box and then on the individual condom wraps," Dr. Lakeisha Richardson , OBGYN, tells Elite Daily. "An expired condom is one of the most common reasons why a condom will break."
And while condoms may seem like one size fits all, another reason a condom might break is because it simply doesn't fit. "Using a condom that is too small puts tension on the latex and increases the risk of a tear or break, that's why it always important to use the correct size condom," Dr. Richardson says.
Some lubricants are meant to be used with condoms , while others are meant for when you no longer use the rubbers . And if you use the wrong lube when you are using condoms, the condom can tear. "Using products such as oils, lubricants, or lotions that are not compatible with latex can weaken the latex and cause the condom to break," Dr. Richardson explains. If you'd rather not have a broken condom, "do not use vaseline, baby oil, coconut or other body lotions that contain oil as lubricant," Dr. Jess O’Reilly , Ph.D., host of the @SexWithDrJess podcast, tells Elite Daily.
Sure, keeping a condom or two in your wallet seems like a good idea, but what about when you're outside in 90-degree weather all the time? Well, that may cause your trusty little friend to fail you. "Condoms should be storied in a cool, dry place," Dr. Jess says. "If you keep them in your wallet or in your car, the heat [may] compromise the integrity of the latex material and increase the likelihood of breakage."
If you're worried about a condom potentially breaking, you may think, "Hey, maybe we should wear two to make sure nothing gets out." Well, that'll probably do more harm than good. "The friction from two condoms can cause breakage," Dr. Jess explains. "This rule also applies to combining an external condom (the kind that fits over the penis) with an internal condom (often referred to as a female condom ), which is worn inside the vagina or anus."
Picture this: You and your sexual partner are about to have sex. You're kissing all up on each other, clothes are flying off, the heat of the moment is building up, and when you're about to do the deed, you remember you have to put on a condom. While you're in a rush to get things going before the ~mood~ goes away, you may not apply the condom properly or you might break it with your nails or teeth and not even notice.
It's important to take it slow, and ensure that you're putting on the condom the right way before you actually start having sex. "If you don’t take the time to properly apply a condom, it can increase the risk of slippage of breakage," Dr. Jess says. "Open the condom wrapper carefully and be sure not to tear it with your teeth or finger nails. Keep extra condoms on hand in case of breakage while opening. Leave a little space at the top of the condom and roll it gently down all the way to the bottom." Take your time. Better safe than sorry!
Well, the first thing you'll probably do is freak out a little , especially if you're not on some other form of birth control. This is normal. Once you've gotten past that, on to step two: Preventing pregnancy . "If the condom breaks, there are several emergency contraception options ," Dr. Loanzon says. "The most effective emergency contraceptive is the copper IUD which has a failure rate of less than 1 percent. An added benefit is that the copper IUD (Paragard) is a long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC), and thus has an efficacy of preventing pregnancy 99 percent of the time and can be used as a continuous contraceptive for 10 years after placement."
There's also, of course, the morning-after pill. The most well-known brand is Plan B, because you can get it over the counter. According to its site, the sooner you take Plan B after unprotected sex or birth control malfunction (read: a broken condom), the better it works. But you do have a max of 72 hours to take the pill. Dr. Loanzon also mentions Ulipristal, which is the same concept as Plan B, but it requires a prescription from a health care provider and can be used up to 120 hours after unprotected sex or birth control malfunction. "It is important that these medications be used as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse to decrease the risk of pregnancy," Dr. Loanzon says.
The next thing you should do after a condom breaks is get tested for STDs . "You should see a physician as soon as possible for immediate testing and then follow up testing in 4-12 weeks," Dr. Richardson suggests. "You may also request prophylactic treatment if your sexual partner has a history of STIs."
Dr. Loanzon also recommends gently washing the genitalia (i.e. penis, vulva, anus, and adjacent skin) with mild soap and water, as it "may reduce the risk of fluid exposure, however, this method has not been well studied. I do not recommend women to douche as that may increase risk of other vaginal infections." And for good measure, "Some providers also recommend applying spermicide vaginally as soon as possible to decrease the risk of pregnancy," she adds.
It's safe to say that once you've experienced a condom breaking, you'd want to do everything you possibly can to make sure it doesn't happen again — and with good reason. It's a scary feeling! Dr. Goldstein recommends keeping your condoms in a cool, dry place, and always checking the expiration date.
"Make sure you always have your favourite condoms on you, and if you are only with one partner, ensure to have the right size, or with multiple partners have a selection of sizes. Use a water-based or silicone lubricant, and add the right amount using a few drops on the inside of the condoms, at the tip, and also on the outside. Make sure you be careful when opening the wrapper and roll the condom all the way down to the base."
A condom breaking can happen to anyone, so don't freak out. Think logically, take the steps necessary to prevent an unwanted pregnancy or the spread of STDs, and do what you need to do to make sure it doesn't happen again.
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You Asked It: Why Do My Condoms Break?

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First, it’s great that you’re taking control of your sexual health and using condoms! As you probably already know, they’re the only kind of birth control that also prevents the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs, sometimes called sexually transmitted diseases or STDs). Condom mishaps can happen to anyone, but they’re pretty rare if you use condoms the right way, every time you have sex.
Here are the most common reasons that condoms might break during sex, and how you can fix them.
These can wear the condom down over time. This means you shouldn’t store your condoms in the glove compartment of a car (where it can get super hot), in your wallet (where there’s a lot of friction), or anywhere with direct sunlight. Instead, keep them in a bedside or closet drawer, where it’s cool and dark.
Check the expiration date on your condoms. If they’re expired, toss them.
If you use oil-based lube (like Vaseline, coconut oil, baby oil or body lotion), STOP. Oil weakens latex and can make the condom break. Instead, use a little water- or silicone-based lube in the tip of the condom, and around and just inside the opening of the vagina or anus. We talk more about different kinds of lube and how to use it here.
As you roll the condom on, pinch the tip with two of your fingers. This makes sure there’s plenty of room for ejaculate (or come/cum). If you don’t pinch the tip, the condom can break when you have an orgasm. We go into more detail about how to put on a condom here .
NEVER use two condoms at once. This makes it much more likely that they will tear.
Don’t use your teeth or scissors. This can accidentally tear the condom. Open the condom with your fingers instead.
If your condom doesn’t roll all the way down the shaft of the penis or feels tight or uncomfortable, it might be too small. Try a few different condoms to find one that works for you. This doesn’t mean that you need to go straight for the Magnums, though! “Regular”-sized condoms fit most people. If you use condoms that are too big, they’re more likely to slip off , so you’ll just be creating a different problem for yourself!
If not, keep in mind that external (sometimes called “male”) condoms aren’t the only kind of condoms. You could try using internal (sometimes called “female”) condoms instead. These are condoms that are inserted inside the vagina or anus instead of going over the penis or sex toy. We talk more about how to use internal condoms here.
If you’re having penis-in-vagina (PIV) sex and your partner isn’t using another method of birth control, they can use emergency contraception up to 5 days after sex to help prevent pregnancy . Broken condoms also put you both at risk for STIs, so you should both be tested . If either of you is at risk for HIV, you can take PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) up to 72 hours after sex to greatly reduce the chances of spreading the virus.
If you’re 10-22 years old in NYC, you can get free, confidential health care including STI testing and treatment, birth control, emergency contraception, sexual health education and free condoms at the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center. No judgment, no charge.
You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers. At the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center , we answer a lot of questions. Topics range from nutrition to pregnancy prevention, and everything in between. Now, we’re bringing these questions back to you with our weekly advice column, You Asked It. Got a question? Send us a message on Facebook , Twitter or Instagram , or email us at teenhealthcareorg@gmail.com with “You Asked It” in the subject line.
This column is not intended to provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual, only general information for education purposes only.
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Most of you will have heard – quite accurately – that NO birth control method outside of abstinence is 100% reliable for preventing pregnancy.
Using a condom is the most common choice for birth control, and that’s not surprising given the convenience and cost-friendliness of using one. That and the fact that they’re nearly always very effective at preventing sperm from making their way any further. Every once I a while, however, condoms will break. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. So the question some guys may be asking is – how often do condoms break?
That’s a question for which you obviously can’t give a definitive, exact answer. So to provide an approximate answer to how often do condoms break, you can expect one out of every 250 condoms you use to break .
That number, however, is based on the condoms being defective based on manufacturer defect and NOT defective because of improper usage, storage, or best-before date neglect on the part of the user.
If a condom breaks, your best choice of action is to have the
woman take an emergency
contraceptive , or ‘morning after’ pill as it’s commonly referred to.

Like any consumer product, sometimes you have one that’s
manufactured with an invisible defect. When it comes to condoms, manufacturers
do their best to have strict quality control measures in place. Even with them,
however, it is impossible to ensure that every one of the thousands &
thousands of condoms manufactured is structurally as it should be. You can be
sure that manufacturer defect is the LEAST common of all the reasons why
condoms break.
What is clearly common is user negligence, and most often
it’s keeping condoms for far too long after the expiry date shown on the
packaging. The answer to how often do condoms break when using ones that have
expired is obviously that it happens much more frequently. This is especially
true for condoms that have been kept in wallets or anywhere else where they
have constant pressure and / or heat.
Keeping a condom in a wallet for a long time and then using
it after it has expired increases the risk of that condom breaking significantly.
The same is true for condoms that have been stored in glove compartments or
anywhere else where they might be exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures.
Any condom that has the exterior packaging discolored from being left in direct
sunlight for too long should be discarded and never used.
And as far as when should you throw a condom away, the
answer is as soon as it’s past its expiry date or the packaging has been
punctured or torn in any way. If an expiry date is not featured on the packaging,
it will have a manufacture date instead. If 4 years have passed since the
manufacture date indicated on a box of condoms, they cannot be considered safe
anymore and should be discarded.
One last consideration here is that lubricated condoms made
with an oil-based lubricant rather than a water-based one will weaken more
easily / quickly and therefore be more likely to break. For which type of
condom is best, the answer is definitely a water-based lubricant one.
With age and user-caused degradation out of the way, the
last part of how often do condoms break that we’ll touch on today is improper
usage. In order for a condom to function as it’s designed to, the man must put
it on properly.
The proper way to put on a condom is to first ensure that you rim lined with the extending receptacle tip facing away from the tip of the penis. You then roll it down along the shaft of the penis and make sure there is a solid seal between the rim and your penis.
If you have a full erection, this will be nearly guaranteed. Make sure that there is some air space in the tip of the condom in front of the head of your penis.
Having the condom stretched to tightly across the head of
the penis and NOT having the receptacle space indicated above is the most common
reason condoms break due to user error. It also makes it much more likely in
instances where the condom is defective to begin with. All of these reasons can
contribute to what makes a condom defective.
The last general guideline we’ll mention in our discussion of how often do condoms break here today is that – like pretty much anything – you get what you pay for. Spend less and you’ll get less of a quality product, while spending more will get you more of a quality product.
If you’re concerned about condoms breaking, follow the storage, usage, and best-before guidelines listed above AND spend a little more to buy the best quality condoms.
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