6 Things To You Should Know About Condoms for

1. With perfect use ofcondoms are 98% effective at preventing pregnancy. However, perfect use is rarely achieved in the real world due to human error. When we instead consider typical use (or what happens in reality), the effectiveness rate drops to 82%. What this means is that, in practice, 18 out of 100 women who use condoms regularly over the course of a year will end up becoming pregnant.

2. One of the biggest reasons condoms aren’t as effective as people assume is because many of us just don’t always use them correctly. For instance, studies of college students have found that as many as 38% say they have waited until after starting intercourse to put a condom on, and as many as 14% report having taken a condom off before intercourse was over. 

3. In addition to making condom use errors, another reason for the low typical use effectiveness rate is that guys sometimes use condoms that don’t fit very well. Contrary to popular belief, condoms are not a “one-size-fits-all” device. Research has found that poor-fitting condoms are linked to a greater risk of breakage and of guys forgoing condom use altogether. Keep in mind that condoms come in different sizes and thicknesses, so shop around for one that fits you well.

4. Buying condoms that fit you well and learning how to use condoms correctly can reduce the risk of error; however, keep in mind that, even with perfect use, condoms aren't 100% effective. To further reduce risk of unintended pregnancy, consider using multiple methods of birth control simultaneously (e.g., condoms plus the pill).

5. Condoms aren’t used during most acts of sexual intercourse today. In fact, a national U.S. survey in which participants were asked to report their condom use rates during their last 10 experiences with vaginal and anal intercourse revealed the following: overall usage rates were 25% for men and 22% for women during vaginal sex, and 26% for men and 13% for women during anal sex. Of course, keep in mind that these are overall rates—rates varied across different groups and were a bit higher among adolescents and unmarried adults.

6. Some people don’t realize this, but in addition to the male condom that goes over the penis, there is also a female condom that lines the interior of the vagina. To learn more about the female condom and how it works,