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Using condoms properly
   Last updated: 25.06.04
 
If you ask anyone in the street what a condom is, they'll almost certainly be able to tell you. On the TV, on the radio, in schools, in newspapers, condoms are referred to all the time.
But although everyone is happy to talk about condoms, very few people can tell you how to use them properly. Maybe this is because we are a bit embarrassed, or because of censorship, the best demonstration of condom use that most people get is seeing a rubber placed hurriedly onto a banana. That kind of prudishness is no help to anyone, and can lead to people taking needless risks when they use condoms.

Using a condom properly is easy, once you have learnt how. And one of the best ways you can improve your safer sex life is to spend a little time getting it right. Although condoms will not let HIV pass through them under laboratory conditions, they can break, leak, or slip off during fucking, and if they do, they offer much less, or no, protection.

Research suggests that most condoms fail because they are used incorrectly. So learn how to use condoms properly.



Golden rules of condom use
Later in this section we give a full explanation of how to get used to, and use, condoms, as well as explaining why they can break, what brands to choose and what lubricants to buy. But if you want a quick, easy shorthand to condom use, try to remember the Golden Rules we've listed below. Remember, condoms are not difficult to use, but do take a bit of practice to learn.
  • Practise and be prepared

  • Choose a condom which carries the British Kitemark

  • Use the right kind of lubricant (water-based) and not the wrong kind of lubricant (oil-based)

  • always expel any air by holding the teat between thumb and forefinger

  • apply lubricant over the outside of the whole condom, re-apply if necessary

  • Look after the condom - do not leave unused condoms in direct sunlight, be careful of tearing, using old condoms, leaving space or air in the condom, or not using enough lubrication

  • Unroll the condom all the way to the base of the cock after it is hard and before fucking

  • When pulling out, hold the condom tight to the base of the cock, to prevent leakage

  • Never re-use a condom. Once it is used, throw it away and put on a new one if you are fucking again.