Tips for using condoms effectively
(provided by the STOP AIDS Project of San Francisco)
Use the right glove. If you are allergic to latex, use a synthetic non-latex condom. Avoid condoms with spermicide for anal sex – spermicide, or nonoxynol-9, can cause abrasions inside the anal walls, making transmission more likely. Finally, wear one condom at a time – “double bagging” doesn’t work under any circumstances.
Check the expiration date. Most condoms have a lifespan of approximately four to five years. The expiration date is normally printed on the back of the condom. Expired condoms are more likely to break while you are having sex.
Lube it up. While most lubricants work well with latex condoms, oil-based lubricants dissolve latex. Make sure the lube you are using is condom-compatible. Water-based and silicone-based lubes are totally condom safe. Don’t use massage oil as lube for anal sex – they often contain perfumes or other chemicals that irritate the inside of your anus.
Don’t expose a condom to light or heat. Overexposure to light or heat breaks down latex – so avoid leaving condoms out in direct sunlight. Try not to carry a condom in your wallet (the friction and pressure can cause breakage).
Know your size. Jokes about being too big or too small aside, find a condom that is appropriate for the size of your dick. Condoms that are too big can come off during rough fucking, and condoms that are too small break much easier during sex as well. Be honest with yourself and with your partner about what you really need!
Keep it fresh. Switch out the condom every 20 minutes in order to ensure that it doesn’t break during a hot fuck.
|
 |
|
Approximately 2 percent
of condoms tear during use. The majority of these failures are caused by human error, which can include not using enough lube and creating microscopic tears with rings or long, sharp, or jagged fingernails.
|
|
|
