Condom: How to Use Them Effectively
Intro
Once you start to go through puberty, it’s possible to get pregnant or get someone pregnant, which is why it’s important to be familiar with different ways to prevent pregnancy. Abstinence, or choosing to not have or delay having sex, is the most effective form of birth control. There are also many safe and effective forms of birth control that people use, if they decide to have sex.
When people use birth control, or contraception, they use a medicine, medical device or barrier, like a condom, to keep a sperm and an egg from uniting. Condoms are one of the most widely used forms of birth control. A condom fits over an erect penis and creates a barrier that prevents sperm from meeting an egg. This barrier also helps reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Condoms are available at drug stores or grocery stores without a prescription. A person can buy condoms no matter their age.
How to Use Condoms Correctly
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Check the expiration date printed on the wrapper or box and make sure the condom is not past its expiry date.
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Open the package carefully—avoid using your teeth or scissors. Take a look at the condom to check that it’s not brittle, dried out or damaged.
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Locate the direction of the reservoir tip (it looks like a little dome). This will help make sure that you roll on the condom in the correct direction. The rim of the condom should form a circle around the dome of the penis or object. If the rim is on the inside of the dome, then the condom will be inside out and will not roll down properly. If you place the condom on the wrong way, don’t turn it around and then reuse it—start over with a new one.
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Lubricant (lube) can make sex feel better, and it helps stop condoms from breaking. You can put a few drops off lubricant inside the tip of the condom before you roll it on. You can also add more lube to the outside of the condom after it's on the penis.
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Pinch the tip of the condom and roll it on to an erect penis, leaving a little bit of space at the top to collect semen. Roll the condom down the shaft of the penis all the way to the base.
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Wear the condom the whole time you’re having sex.
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After ejaculation, hold the rim of the condom while pulling the penis out of the other partner’s body. Do this before the penis goes soft, so the condom doesn’t get too loose and let semen out. Carefully take off the condom to avoid spilling any semen.
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Throw the condom away in the garbage—don’t flush it down the toilet.
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Condoms are not reusable. Roll on a new condom every time you have sexual intercourse.You should also use a new condom if you switch from one kind of sex to another.