Birth control 101: 7 ways to ensure better condom safety

"Uh, it broke."

I can think of more than a few sentences I'd rather not hear after having sex ("What's your name again?" is right up there), but pride aside, finding out that your birth control has just failed is probably the worst-not to mention the scariest.

However, these rip-and-slip mishaps are more common than you'd think. While this isn't the kind of detail people are anxious to share with inquiring researchers, according to a study by the Kinsey Institute, if you don't use condoms properly (not pinching the tip before unrolling, for example, or catching the latex on a diamond ring), you can expect them to break-at a rate of 15 percent.

But what about when you do use them correctly, and they still tear (more like 2 or 3 percent of the time, according to studies)?

Nick White, Technical Risk Director for SSL International, which makes the Durex brand, decided to find out. After he and two other researchers examined almost 1,000 returned torn condoms, they discovered that almost all of the holes had been caused in a particular way. Instead of slipping off, the condom slips further on (imagine pulling up a sock) and in so doing, tightens around the penis. As the man keeps thrusting, the condom continues to pull on, and all the force concentrates on the highly-stretched tip, until it bursts.

When I got Nick White on the phone in England, he was in the middle of trying to come up with wording for a new warning. "Now that we know what happens," he says, "we're really trying to figure out what to do about it." He does does have some ideas. So do others.


7 ways to endure better condom safety

* Warning sensation: White suggests telling your partner that if he feels the condom getting tighter, to stop and make sure it hasn't stretched. If it has, you may be heading for a tear.

* Lube yourself: Don't be shy about adding water-based gel or glide if you're dry. You want the condom to slide between you and him, rather than on or off. Paul Joannides, author of the Guide To Getting It On, suggests rehydrating if you're going at it for a while: "Just add some water or spit, not more lube," he says. "Otherwise it'll get gunky and the woman can get the equivalent of rug burn in her vagina."Also, if you use any lubricant on him before he rubbers up, put no more than a dab at the tip.

* Dry him off: Make sure the shaft of the penis isn't wet, say from having oral sex first, when you put the condom on. This will help keep it from slipping off.

* Don't even think about double bagging: (two condoms). You're not at the grocery store. "Very, very bad idea," says Joannides.

* Get the score. Consumer Reports recently tested 15,000 condoms, and seven products got a perfect score, meaning they are stronger and more reliable than most: Durex Perfomax, Lifetstyles Ultra Sensitive Lubricated and Warming Pleasure, and four Trojan models-Her Pleasure Ecstasy, Magnum Lubricated, Ultra Ribbed, Ecstasy, and Ultra Thin. Check out what CR put them through:
Crash Test Rubbers


* Counterfeit Condoms?Yep, from China. "Knockoffs," says White. "They print the boxes so they look just like ours. It's a bit unsettling." But he and others say not to worry, especially if you buy your supply from major retailers. If you open the package and it smells funky or looks off, send the product back to the manufacturer, just to make sure.

* And if it rips? Basically, you've had unprotected sex and the risks that come with it, say experts at the CDC's Division of STD Prevention. If you're worried about getting pregnant, don't wait to get emergency contraception. It also could be wise to get checked out for STDs. There are some drugs you can take after exposure that may reduce your risk of infection (with HIV for example), "but you have to take them very soon," says Richard Rothenberg, MD, MPH, professor at the Institute of Public Health at Georgia State University. "As for douching, it probably won't help and could even be injurious due to contact irritation."


Have you come up with any good condom strategies?


Here's more if you want to read between the sheets:

Basic condom 101
A guy's eye view
Other rain gear for your man

[Photo credit: Stockbyte/Getty Images]