Male and Female Condoms

Condoms prevent pregnancy by trapping sperm before, during and after a man cums (ejaculates). This is important because pre-cum (a fluid that comes out of the penis before a guy cums) contains enough sperm to cause pregnancy. There are two main types of condoms:

  • the male condom, a latex or polyurethane (soft plastic) cover that is rolled onto the hard (erect) penis before sex.

  • the Reality® or female condom, which is made out of polyurethane and has a flexible ring at each end. One ring is inserted into the vagina and the other ring stays outside the vaginal opening.

Latex and polyurethane condoms can also prevent HIV and other diseases spread through sex in the vagina, butt, or mouth (oral sex).   

Important: condoms made of animal skin, like lambskin, do not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

How to use a male condom

How to apply a male condom

  • Keep it fresh! Always store condoms in a cool dry place (not a wallet) and check the expiration date.

  • Check it! Squeeze the package gently to make sure there are no punctures and be sure to not use your teeth to open the package. Your teeth could rip the condom!

  • Heads Up! Unroll the condom a little before putting it on and make sure it's able to roll easily down the penis. Squeeze the tip (so semen can collect) and roll the condom from the tip of the penis all the way to the base. If uncircumcised, pull the foreskin back before putting the condom on.

  • Don't Double Up! Be sure to never use more than one condom at a time. Doubling up can lead to friction and possibly the condom breaking. One condom is sufficient.

  • Lube it Up! Apply lots of water based lubricant to the condom to prevent friction which could cause breakage.

  • Take It Easy! After ejaculation (cumming), remove the penis from the vagina/anus/mouth while still erect and carefully unroll and remove the condom. Be careful to not spill any semen on your partner.

  • Never use a condom for more than one session. Always use a new condom each time you have sex, or when you switch from oral to vaginal or anal sex. This will reduce the risk of the condom breaking.

How to use a female condom

Although it is referred to as the female condom, it can be used by both men and women. For the female condom, make sure to put it into place before your partner's penis comes into contact with the vagina or anus. Once in place, carefully guide the penis into the condom, making sure to enter the condom and not outside of the condom's external rim.

For vaginal sex

  • Press the inner ring between your fingers to narrow it and make it easier to insert.

  • Hold the condom with its open end pointing down, and insert the closed end into the vagina, letting the wider end remain around the opening of the vagina (it's easier to insert if the knees are spread apart). You can also place the female condom on an erect penis or dildo to insert it.

  • Push the condom up into the vagina, until it is just past the pubic bone (you can tell where the pubic bone is by curving the index finger when it has gone a couple inches into the vagina).

  • When removing the female condom, squeeze the end, twist the condom to keep the semen inside, and pull out. DO NOT FLUSH.

For Anal Sex

  • Remove the internal ring and place the condom on the partner's erect penis or a dildo.

  • Use the penis/dildo to carefully insert the condom into the anus of the receptive partner.

  • To remove, squeeze the end of the condom, twist to hold the semen inside and remove.

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Read about other types of barrier birth control:

 

 

Effectiveness

Can be up to 98% effective if used with spermicide. Practice using condoms before you have sex (if you don’t have a penis you can use a sex toy or even a banana as a prop!).  In the heat of the moment it’s easy to mess up (if a condom is put on wrong it could break or not work) and practice makes perfect!

Cost

Male condoms cost between $0.25 - $1.  Female condoms cost about $2.50 each. Family planning clinics often provide both types of condoms for free or very low cost.

Where to get

You don’t need a prescription and anyone can get them.  You can get them at the drug store, grocery store, family planning clinics, or even in some vending machines.

Things to think about

The condom won’t work if it is not used properly.  Don’t wait to put a condom on if you want to protect yourself! Pregnancy and spread of STI’s can occur even if the guy doesn’t cum in you.

There are no side effects, unless you have a latex allergy.  If latex irritates your skin, try a polyurethane condom or female condom.

Male and female condoms are the only birth control methods that also protect against STIs like HIV.  Condoms can be used for oral sex (they even come in different flavors!) or sex in the vagina or butt.