Using a Condom

Condoms only work well if they are used correctly.  Many women have become pregnant and countless men and women have had disease-causing bacteria or viruses passed on to them because they did not use the condom correctly.  

In order to avoid pregnancy or sexually-transmitted diseases, there are a certain number of rules which must be respected.  These rules are often printed on the boxes which condoms are sold in.

1. Always use a new condom.  Condoms are not reusable.
2. Verify that the packaging has not been damaged (be sure to carry condoms in a protected place because they often get damaged in pockets, wallets, etc.) and check the expiration date.
3. Use only fingers to open the packaging - not scissors, not teeth, not sharp fingernails.

4. Examine the condom to see which way it unrolls (there is only one way in which it will unroll) If the condom is placed upside down on the penis and the tip of the condom touches the tip of the penis, liquids which have been secreted by the penis for lubrication will be placed on the tip of the condom.  When it is turned around so that it is in the right direction to be unrolled, the condom will have the those liquids on its outside tip.  Such fluids contain sperm cells but can also contain bacteria and viruses. 

No	Yes

Rather than trying to see which way it unrolls on the penis, it is better to try to unroll the condom on the fingers first, as shown above. 

5. Pinch the tip of the condom to make sure no air is trapped inside.  Bubbles of trapped air heat up when they are pushed around during sexual intercourse.  The heat might cause the condom to break, although this is extremely rare.
6. Unroll the condom all the way down to the base of the penis.

7. It is recommended to use a lubricant.  Lubricants are liquids which reduce friction and help the penis slide during penetration. 
   • Never use petroleum-based lubricants such as Vaseline.  Such products literally dissolve the latex, creating holes in the condom.  

   

   • Always use water-based lubricants, made specifically for use with condoms.  Such lubricants can be bought in pharmacies or places where pharmaceutical products are sold.  Otherwise, most condoms are lubricated on the outside surface, as shown in the photo below.

8. Use the condom at all times during penetration.  
   • Some people think they can have sex for a while without using the condom and only put it on at the end when the man is about to ejaculate.  Since some sperm cells are released before ejaculation, this technique does not effectively prevent pregnancy.  
   • Other people think that after ejaculation, they can remove the condom and put the penis back into the vagina.  This is also ineffective because the penis is covered with semen which contains millions of sperm cells.  Putting it back into the woman's vagina will introduce all those sperm cells into her reproductive system.  Remember, all it takes is one sperm cell to make a woman pregnant.
   • In addition, any time there is penetration without protection from a condom, the direct contact between the penis and the partner allows germs to be transmitted.
9. After ejaculation, remove the penis before it becomes soft again.  While the penis is being pulled out, it is important to hold onto the base of the condom to keep it on the penis.  If the penis becomes flaccid (soft), there is a strong chance that the condom will slip off and leak semen into the woman's vagina.  Here again, there is a risk both for sperm cells to be introduced into the woman's reproductive system and a risk for germs to be passed from one partner to the other. 
10. Remove the condom and dispose of it properly - never reuse a used condom.
    • Tie a knot in the middle so that the semen does not leak out.

    

    • Do not throw it in the toilet - it will float if it has any air in it, it might cause problems blocking pipes or it might just end up in a river somewhere...
    • Throw it in the trash.

Can condoms break or explode?

Usually, no.  Condoms are manufactured using strict regulations.  In France, the "NF" logo insures that the French regulations have been followed (see photo at right).  Condoms are meant to be flexible and thin without breaking.  Condoms can stretch to many times their normal volume.  In the photos below, condoms have been filled with air and then with water to prove how strong they are and that it is very difficult to make them explode.

It it difficult to imagine how the ejaculation of a little spoonful of semen can make a condom burst.  

Many people have said they they got into trouble with unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases because the condom they were using broke.  Here is the real story:

1. Most of those people are lying.  Why?  So they will not have to admit that they did something wrong.  It is easier to blame something on an object rather than to admit a mistake.
2. Of the small percentage who are not lying and whose condom really did break, there are only two possible explanations:
   • in the vast majority of cases, the condom ruptured because people did not use it correctly (see rules above about storage, transport, opening, air bubbles, lubrication, etc.)
   • Although it is extremely rare, it is possible that the condom was defective.  The chances of that happening are as likely as buying a new shirt in a department store and when you bring it home you realize there is a big hole in it.  

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© A.W. Damon 2003

Last modification: 2003-01-09