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Choosing Better Medical Care

These Mistakes May Reduce The Efficacy Of Your Condoms

12 December 2017

Chris Burke

If you're a male who is sexually active, you may choose to carry a condom with you. This way, if an unexpected sexual encounter arises, you won't have to either scramble to go buy this form of contraception or consider having unsafe sex. When you use a condom correctly, it's a highly proficient form of not only birth control but also as a preventative measure against sexually transmitted infections. However, some people make some simple mistakes that may reduce the efficacy of their condoms, leaving a heightened risk of both an unwanted pregnancy and of an STI. Here are some of these mistakes:

Carrying It In Your Wallet

Lots of men carry a spare condom in their wallet. The rationale for doing so is that you're rarely without your wallet when you're out, meaning that you'll always have this form of contraception handy when you need it. However, keeping the condom in this location can be a bad idea. The constant pressure against it from when you sit on your wallet can potentially cause the thin layer of latex to break down. You might not notice the tiny tears in the condom that can arise from keeping it in your wallet and end up encounter a bad situation upon using it.

Wearing Two

Some men decide to wear two condoms during some sexual encounters. Perhaps you're just very keen on preventing a pregnancy, for example, but many men also use this approach when they're concerned that their sexual partner may have an STI. The problem with this idea is that two condoms can actually be less effective than one. When you wear two, they can rub on each other throughout the intercourse, potentially resulting in small holes or tears. Wearing one condom is always the best approach. (Additionally, if you're so concerned about the health of your sexual partner that you're inclined to wear two condoms, you may wish to rethink this sexual encounter.)

Using It For Oral Sex

Wearing a condom for oral sex is a cautious move if you wish to reduce the risk of an STI, but many people make the mistake of using the same condom for vaginal sex after oral sex. If you enjoy oral sex as a form of foreplay, your partner's teeth may create small incisions in the condom, reducing its efficacy. When you wear the same condom for vaginal sex, it's possible that pregnancy could occur because of these incisions. It's best to use two condoms — one for oral sex and one for vaginal intercourse.

For more information on contraceptives, contact a medical office near you. 

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