Condoms

How often do condoms break ?

According to the most recent studies performed in the U.S., the breakage rate of condoms is about 2.3%.1 That means approximately 2 out of every 100 condoms break during intercourse.

Other factors that contribute to condom failure are:

  • Condom slipping off the penis (about 1% of the time)2
  • Use of oil-based lubricants with latex condoms
  • Inadequate lubrication
  • Inadequate space at the tip of the condom
  • Exposure to heat
  • Improper storage conditions
  • Failure to observe expiration date
  • Incorrect condom size
  • Failure to put condom on prior to all sexual contact
  • Failure to use condom during each act of intercourse
  • Semen spilling from condom during withdrawal
  • Skin-to-skin contact in areas not covered by a condom

 

 

Footnotes:

  1. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, July 20, 2001. Retrieved Jan. 2007 from http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/research/topics/STI/pdf/condomreport.pdf.
  2. Ibid.

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