Using a Condom the Right Way

If being a parent at the wrong time is the last thing you want to be right now, then wearing a condom during sex should be high on your list. Condoms however, don’t just solve one aspect of safe sex (i.e. preventing pregnancy), they also protect you from sexually transmitted diseases, most of which are downright nasty, if not fatal.

You already know the facts about condoms, what they do, and how they allow you to engage in safe sex, but there are still many people out there—both men and women—who don’t know how to use a condom correctly.

Why is this So?

Despite it being the 21st century today, many men and women still feel embarrassed to ask about how to use a condom the right way. This leads them to use the contraceptive incorrectly instead of asking doctors, or even their friends, for fear of being ridiculed, teased, or being labelled as sexually active or promiscuous.

Why Proper Usage is Important 

When used correctly, your ordinary latex condom has a very high success rate in preventing both pregnancy and STIs—the rate is very close to 100 percent. However, that’s assuming that the condom is used correctly. When a condom is used and stored the wrong way, its failure rate can rise to dangerous levels, making it too risky to use during intercourse, whether it’s oral, anal, or vaginal sex.

Here are the basics you should know about using a condom the right way. 

• Check the condom’s expiry date; if it’s past its expiry, throw it away—be sure to dispose properly of course.
• Don’t just rip a condom with your teeth; you don’t want to accidentally tear it. Open the pack with care.
• Condoms should never be stored in your pocket or wallet—the friction and heat will cause the material to deteriorate over time, leading to tearing.
• Determine which direction the condom rolls before wearing it.
• If the condom appears to be stuck on itself when rolling it on the shaft, it may be defective. Use another one.
• Wear a condom when the penis is erect.
• Never use oil-based lubricants with ordinary latex condoms as this eats away at the latex. Use water-based lubricants instead.
• Remove the condom immediately after ejaculation while the penis is still erect. Be sure not to spill any semen when taking out the rubber.
• Never reuse a condom.
• When using certain organic condoms, such as lambskin, bear in mind that these only prevent pregnancy, not infection from STDs.