Why Do Condoms Break
Many factors increase the likelihood of condom breakage, which include:
- Improper storage, like keeping the condom inside the wallet or exposing it to extreme temperatures. You should store condoms in a cool, dry place with ventilation and low humidity.
- Incorrect application, such as using the wrong size, forgetting to leave space between the tip of the penis and the external condom, placing it hastily, putting it on inside out, or wearing two at a time. An external condom should cover the length of the penis, leaving a ½ inch gap at the top.
- Misuse during sex, like reusing condoms, using it beyond the expiration date, using oils or lotions instead of water-based lubricants, and letting the condom come into contact with anything sharp during sex, such as nails, rings, or piercings.
Fact: With proper storage, external condoms have a shelf life of three to five years while internal condoms can remain effective for five years.
It’s necessary to store, wear, and use a condom properly to minimize the risk of condom breakage. Read more about how to put on an external and internal condom correctly and tell if it’s a good fit. When worn properly, condoms are 95% to 98% effective at preventing pregnancy.
How Soon Can I Get Tested For Stds After The Condom Broke
Most STDs will show up on tests 2 to 3 weeks after youre exposed. With some types of HIV tests, it takes up to 3 months for detection.
Remember that STDs often dont have any symptoms. So testing is the only way to be sure you dont have one.
Condoms, even unbroken ones, don’t do a good job at protecting you from STDs like HPV, herpes, and syphilis. If youre having oral, anal, or vaginal sex, you should consider getting tested regularly even if you never have a condom break.
Asses Your Hiv Risk And Take Pep
Start by talking to your partner about when they last got tested for HIV. If they were recently tested, the risk of contraction may be lower.
However, its important to keep in mind that it can sometimes take multiple tests to accurately diagnose HIV.
Post-exposure prophylaxis is a preventive medication that can help reduce your risk for contracting HIV.
If you think you might have been exposed, talk to your doctor about PEP as soon as possible. PEP must be started within 72 hours of potential exposure.
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What To Do When A Condom Breaks To Prevent Pregnancy And When To Get An Sti Test
- When a breaks during sex, you may be at risk for pregnancy
- and Ella can prevent pregnancy as can getting a copper-IUD.
- You should get tested for an STI, though some STIs don’t show up on lab tests for up to six weeks.
External, or “male”, condoms break between 0.6% to 15% of the time, which increases the risk of unplanned pregnancy and exposure to sexually transmitted infections .
When a condom breaks during sex, you must take emergency contraceptives as soon as possible to minimize the risk of pregnancy. You should also get tested for STIs, which helps you get treated sooner rather than later.
Improper storage, incorrect application, and misuse of condoms during sex can all increase the likelihood of breakage.
All reasons for breakage of external condoms apply to internal or “female” condoms as well, says Lubna Pal, MD, professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine.
Here’s how to tell when a condom breaks and what to do at the moment and afterward.
Talk To Your Doctor About Getting A Copper Iud
A copper IUD is another form of emergency contraception that conveniently doubles as a long-lasting birth control method. When inserted by a health care provider within 120 hours of having unprotected sex, it reduces your risk of pregnancy at the moment, and in the future. “It is more effective than any of the pill options at any weight,â says Dr. Duran.
As Jess OâReilly, Ph.D. and host of the Drive Him Wild With Pleasure video course previously explained to Elite Daily, “… is inserted by a medical practitioner into the uterus and the copper changes the way the sperm cells move to reduce the likelihood of their making it to the egg.” Unlike an oral emergency contraceptive, the copper IUD works by triggering your immune system to prevent pregnancy. And according to Planned Parenthood, it’s the most effective form of birth control available and can be used for up to 12 years.
Donât be afraid to take charge of your reproductive health. If you want to prevent birth control failure from happening again, talk to your doctor about getting on the pill, getting an IUD, and always carry condoms and keep them stashed in your nightstand. Because when your body and your future are in question, you have the power to decide what happens next.
This article was originally published on 10.26.17
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How To Use A Condom
- Take the condom out of the packet, being careful not to tear it with jewellery or fingernails. Do not open the packet with your teeth.
- Place the condom over the tip of the erect penis.
- If there’s a teat on the end of the condom, use your thumb and forefinger to squeeze the air out of it.
- Gently roll the condom down to the base of the penis.
- If the condom will not roll down, you may be holding it the wrong way round. If this happens, it may have sperm on it, so throw it away and try again with a new one.
- After sex, take out the penis while it’s still erect hold the condom on at the base of the penis while you do this.
- Remove the condom from the penis, being careful not to spill any semen.
- Throw the condom away in a bin, not down the toilet.
- Make sure your penis does not touch your partner’s genital area again.
- If you have sex again, use a new condom.
You Can Get Pregnant After Unprotected Sex Even On Your Period
Taking morning-after pills doesnt guarantee that you wont get pregnant. A study found that women who took ella or Plan B had a 1.8% and 2.6% chance, respectively, of getting pregnant.
That means youll still need to keep an eye on things, bearing in mind that a morning-after pill can cause spotting and may alter the flow of your period, which can make it hard to tell if you are pregnant.
You can still get pregnant after unprotected sex on your period, though it’s less likely. Sperm can live anywhere from 3 to 5 days inside your body, and ovulation, the time where you’re most likely to get pregnant, is several days away from the end of your menstrual cycle. The window of you getting pregnant is significantly smaller during your period, but that doesn’t totally eliminate the risk.
If your period is more than a week late, take a pregnancy test.
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Mistake: You Reuse A Condom
You may think this is a given, but the CDC once tweeted a warning to people: Dont wash or reuse condoms! It happens, and it is not a good idea, Alyssa Dweck, M.D., a gynecologist in Westchester, New York, tells SELF. This is not a good habit to get into, she says.
A used condom cannot be considered reliable when it comes to pregnancy and STD prevention, Dr. Dweck explains. You should only use condoms once, for each sex act . If cost or access is an issue, go to CondomFinder.org to learn where you can get free condoms in your area.
A Woman Having Vaginal Sex Should:
Go to the bathroom and pee to flush away any sperm that may be near your urethra.Whilst sitting on the toilet remove excess sperm by squatting down and squeezing with your vaginal muscles. Do not douche or wash inside your vagina because this can push any sperm and bacteria high into your vagina, which is more likely to result in a pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection. Douching also alters the useful bacteria that protects your vagina from bacterial vaginosis.Wash the outside of your genitals by splashing them with water or pouring a bottle of lukewarm water over them whilst sitting on the toilet.You may need to get emergency contraception if you are not using any other contraception. This should be taken in the first 72 hours after a condom breaks. .It is important to have a sexual health check up. This should be 14 days after the condom breaks or sooner if you have any symptoms or concerns.You may be worried about HIV and want to find out about PEP
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What Do I Do If A Condom Breaks
“Don’t be worried,” Dr. Bhuyan says. She recommends going to your primary care physician to figure out your risk of pregnancy or STIs.
“If you’re a gay man who is having receptive anal intercourse, you might be at a high risk of getting HIV,” a fact backed up by HIV.gov, which estimates that 26,000 of new HIV infections per year affect gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. If you fall into that category, you may be a good candidate for starting medications to prevent the virus. If you’re a female having heterosexual sex with someone who was recently tested, you are probably at a lower risk for the virus, but you have other things to think about. Consider getting tested for STIs like chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea.
As far as preventing an unwanted pregnancy, there are emergency contraceptives like Plan B and ella, as well as a copper IUD, which is effective up to five days after intercourse. These are all options that your physician can discuss with you, so if you are unsure what to do after a condom breaks, go talk to your doctor and they will be able to help you out depending on your situation.
Most importantly, “I don’t want people to be living in fear and I want them to know that you can be empowered to control your own sexual health,” Dr. Bhuyan says. “So, if a condom does break and you’re not sure what to do, don’t be worried because doctors are here to support you.”
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How Do You Use A Male Condom
Condoms are most effective if you follow these steps:
- Use a new condom each time you have sexual intercourse.
- When opening the condom wrapper, be careful not to poke a hole in the condom with your fingernails, teeth, or other sharp objects.
- Put the condom on as soon as your penis is hard and before any sexual contact with your partner.
- Before putting it on, hold the tip of the condom and squeeze out the air to leave room for the semen after ejaculation.
- If you aren’t circumcised, pull down the loose skin from the head of the penis before putting on the condom.
- While continuing to hold on to the tip of the condom, unroll it all the way down to the base of your penis.
- If you are also using the condom as birth control, make sure your partner uses a spermicide according to the manufacturer’s instructions. .
- If you want to use a lubricant, never use petroleum jelly , grease, hand lotion, baby oil, or anything with oil in it . Oil can weaken the condom, increasing the chance that it may break. Instead, use a personal lubricant such as Astroglide or K-Y Jelly.
- After ejaculation, hold on to the condom at the base of your penis and withdraw from your partner while your penis is still erect. This will keep semen from spilling out of the condom.
- Wash your hands after handling a used condom.
What do you need to know about buying and storing male condoms?
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What To Know About Plan B
Plan B was the first hormonal product approved in the U.S. specifically for emergency contraception. It can prevent ovulation and fertilization if taken within three days of having unprotected sex.
Anyone can buy Plan B and its generic counterpart over the counter, meaning you don’t need a prescription . Plan B costs between $10 and $70, according to Planned Parenthood.
Christopher Estes, MD, an assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, recommends keeping it on hand in case of emergency.
Side effects can include nausea, tiredness, headache, and breast tenderness.
Always Store Condoms Properly
Keep condoms away from heat, cold, and direct sunlight, which can weaken the material that condoms are made of and increase the risk of breakage.
Moisture and humidity like in a bathroom can also damage condoms, so be sure to store them in a cool, dry place.
Never store condoms in your wallet. Friction can cause microtears.
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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Condoms
Some advantages of using condoms:
- When used correctly and consistently, they are a reliable method of preventing pregnancy and protecting both partners from STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HIV.
- You only need to use them when you have sex they do not need advance preparation and are suitable for unplanned sex.
- In most cases, there are no medical side effects from using condoms.
- They are easy to get hold of and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and flavours.
Some disadvantages include:
- Some couples find that using condoms interrupts sex to get around this, try to make using a condom part of foreplay.
- Condoms are very strong but may split or tear if not used properly. If this happens to you, practise putting them on so you get used to using them.
- Some people may be allergic to latex, plastic or spermicides, but you can get condoms that are less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
- When using a condom, you have to pull out after you have ejaculated and before your penis goes soft, holding the condom firmly in place.
How To Prevent Pregnancy After Unprotected Sex Or The Condom Broke
Although you dont automatically get pregnant from having sex, you can become pregnant from having unprotected sex even just once. Condom breakage during sexual intercourse leads to a high risk of becoming pregnant. Your risk of becoming pregnant also varies depending on where you are in your monthly menstrual cycle, with some days being much higher risk than others. Whether you had unprotected sex or the condom broke, you may still be able to avoid pregnancy.
See a pharmacist or medical provider as soon as you can. Time is of the essence in preventing an accidental pregnancy after unprotected sex. Effectiveness is highest in the first 24 hours after sex but emergency contraception can be effective up to 5 days after.
Do not douche. Douching is not only ineffective at preventing pregnancy but is generally advised against by doctors. Touching changes the normal bacterial and yeast state of your reproductive tract leading to increased infections.
Get tested. If you had unprotected sex, you are not just at risk of pregnancy but you are also at risk for a sexually transmitted infection. See a doctor and get tested for pregnancy and for sexually transmitted infections. HIV testing usually requires two tests six months apart to ensure a true reading.
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What Are Your Odds Of Breaking A Condom
How durable your condom is depends in part on what its made out of. Polyurethane condoms your classic rubbers are thinner than latex condoms and may provide a more natural feel during sex. A 2003 study shows that polyurethane condoms can slip off or break 2.5 times more often than latex ones.
If condoms were basketball players, their shooting percentage would be all-world. As birth control, however, theyre more like Shaq at the free-throw line a toss up. Counting both breakage and slippage, The condom failure rate is about 10 percent, says Irobunda.
Overall, condoms are only 85 percent effective in real-world use, versus 98 percent when used perfectly.
How Can I Check For An Sti When A Condom Breaks
The best way to check for an STI is to get tested see the above section, What should I do in the next two to 12 weeks?.
You can get tested for free by visiting a sexual health clinic. You can also visit your GP, but they will probably refer you to a clinic.
If youd rather test yourself in the comfort of your own home, you can order a home test kit from Online Doctor. We stock a range of kits, including:
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What Are Emergency Contraceptive Pills
Emergency contraceptive pills are high dose birth control pills. They arent 100% effective, but they do reduce the chance of getting pregnant by 75%. For example, if 100 women have unprotected intercourse once in the second or third week of their cycle , eight would get pregnant if they didnt use emergency contraception but only two would become pregnant if they took emergency contraception.
