Why Condom Break
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Why Condom Break
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You Asked It: Why Do My Condoms Break?
Condom mishaps can happen to anyone, but they’re pretty rare if you use condoms the right way.
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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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Condoms are one of the best forms of birth control because they're cheap, you can buy them anywhere, they help prevent pregnancy, and they also help stop the spread of STIs . But still, they aren't perfect.
Condoms can break and are also prone to user error (such as putting them on incorrectly or choosing the wrong size). For that reason, external condoms (the kind that goes onto a penis) are only about 85 percent effective at preventing pregnancy in real life, according to Planned Parenthood — that's compared to 98 percent effective with perfect use.
To help prevent unwanted pregnancy and protect yourself and your partner against STIs, you should make sure you know how to use a condom properly , as well as the necessary steps you can take to prevent them from breaking.
If a condom does break during sex , stay calm and assess your options. You can take emergency contraception , if you want, and chat with your doctor about getting tested for STIs.
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Men attending 3 sexually transmissible disease clinics and a university health clinic in Sydney, Australia, were invited to complete a questionnaire on their use of condoms. Respondents were 108 male condom user volunteers aged 18 to 62 years; in the last five years 47 had had sex with men, 18 with both men and women and 43 only with women. They reported using a total of 4809 condoms in the previous 12 months (condoms worn by a male partner were not included). The overall breakage rate was 4.9% (including condoms breaking during application), while 3.1% of condoms reportedly slipped off. On a multivariate analysis, condom breakage correlated with: (1) male sexual partner(s), (2) infrequent condom use, (3) rolling the condom on as per conventional instructions (modified application methods appeared protective) and (4) having trouble with condoms partially slipping. Factors associated with condoms slipping off were (1) young age, (2) being circumcised, (3) having less life-time condom experience, (4) rolling the condom on conventionally, and (5) having trouble with condoms partially slipping. Few men used inappropriate lubricants and no association between lubricant type and breakage was found. Though common among our respondents, negative attitudes towards condoms, loss of erection during condom application or use, finding condoms uncomfortable, and prolonged sexual intercourse were not related to success in use. Almost half (49%) of the men reported having deliberately removed a condom after the beginning of intercourse; 17% had done so 3 or more times. Counselling protocols should acknowledge the complexity of condom use.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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When having sex, you always take precaution . You use a condom , you're on the pill , you know your partner's sexual history. But then, mid-intercourse, the condom breaks, and suddenly, it seems like all that prep doesn't even matter because with one thrust, with one snap of the latex, your risk of pregnancy or an STI just got a whole lot higher.
Don't worry, condom breakage is common, and there are ways to prevent it, as well as things to do after the fact to help keep your chances of pregnancy or contracting an STI low. I talked to Natasha Bhuyan, MD and family physician at One Medical, and she gave me all the tips on how to correctly use a condom so as to prevent them from breaking, as well as the steps to take if one does in fact break. So, stay calm and read on. It's going to be OK.
Condoms aren't perfect ( they aren't even 100% effective ), so yes, sometimes they break. According to Dr. Bhuyan, it's usually due to friction, which is an issue because sex is like...80% friction when you think about it. Obviously, there's nothing you can do about that, but the situation could be made worse if you aren't using the right lubrication, or if there isn't a sufficient amount of lube.
"Sometimes, it actually just happens by chance," Dr. Bhuyan says, and there really isn't much you can do about that. There are steps you can take, however, to reduce your risk of breakage.
There are some things to avoid if you want to
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