What’s the difference between a copper IUD and a hormonal IUD?
An intrauterine device (IUD) is a small T-shaped object that is inserted into (and eventually removed from) the uterus…
Read FAQ »Condoms have a great track record. When used properly, they most likely won’t break. Correct use means following these steps every time.
When a condom breaks, it’s usually because one of these steps wasn’t followed. If you buy a package of condoms, first read the directions—usually included inside or printed on the back of the box. The directions should cover the same steps that we have listed in our FAQ on how to use a condom correctly.
Numerous studies have been done to test the rate of condom breakage or slippage. Many find that only two percent of condoms break or slip because the material itself is faulty. Usually a condom breaks because a person didn’t use it correctly.
For preventing pregnancy, the perfect-use effectiveness rate for condoms is 98 percent. This means that if 100 couples use a condom perfectly each time they have vaginal sex for an entire year, only two pregnancies would occur. These pregnancies would most likely occur because the condom itself was faulty.
The typical-use effectiveness rate for condoms is 85 percent. This means that if 100 couples use condoms and sometimes they use them incorrectly, or they don’t use them every time they have sex over the course of an entire year, then 15 pregnancies would occur. Most of these pregnancies that occur would be due to human error, not because the condom itself was faulty.