question about condoms

[dead_sick]

On some sites regarding birth control, pregnancy prevention ranges from 90% to 96% when condoms are used correctly. My question is when will that other 10% come into play? like leakage, or removing the condom wrong or what? thanks

[oberon]

Hmmm... I'm not really sure what accounts for the mishaps in condom usage, but I'd reasonably guess that many times it is due to improper use.

I recently read a study on "divergent couples"- where one partner has HIV and the other does not- and among the couples who used condoms CORRECTLY EVERYTIME, there was absolutely no spread of the infection. Whereas in couples who were not as careful, (if I remember correctly), there was a new infection rate of 2-3%.

I would imagine that something similar would hold true for pregnancy as well.

[Brandye]

Of 100 women regularly active who use condoms correctly and every time, fifteen will become pregnant within a year.

The most common cause of "condom failure" is not from defects in the condom; it is from leakage around the open end. Three things to insure effectiveness: make certain the condom is rolled all the way up against the male's body; always use spermicide in the vagina (jelly, foal, film, suppository); withdraw immediately after ejaculation. A little dab of spermicided in the condom can also help.

As soon as most men ejaculate, the penis softens somewhat. This will allow sperm out and you are still close to the vaginal opening. Hopefully, the spermicide will take care of any renegade sperm. Using spermicide, in the vagina, with condoms will change the example used to three pregnancies a year.

In my condom using days, I always guided the man in. That made things more convenient and also gave me a last check that the condom was all the way on - even if I had put it on him.