Summer's here! You might be pumped for the break, but you won't be if your condom breaks.

By Marissa

After months of anticipation, summer is FINALLY here! There are plenty of reasons to celebrate the beginning of summer – no more school, spending time with your friends, and going on vacation. However, all of this excitement may come to an abrupt stop if you engage in risky behaviors. It’s important to know what to do in case something unintentional happens, such as a condom breaking during sex. Here are a few tips in order to avoid this situation:

  1. First and foremost, make sure you’re using a new condom that isn’t expired. A new condom should be used every time you have sex, and it should be applied carefully. That means not using your teeth to open it (you may accidentally create a small tear in the condom if you do so)! It also means making sure you apply the condom correctly. Don’t forget to leave space at the tip!
  2. After carefully checking the condom for holes, tears, and an up-to-date expiration date, it’s important to make sure that the woman is lubricated (naturally or with the help of personal lubricant) in order to avoid too much friction. Friction can easily cause a condom to tear. FYI – water-based lubricants, such as KY or Astroglide, should be used with latex condoms because they won’t break down the latex like oil-based lubricants do. It’s also a good idea to try using lubricated condoms, just for additional protection.
  3. You may have heard that two condoms equals double protection, but this is a myth and is NOT the case. In fact, using two condoms actually creates more friction and increases the likelihood of a condom breaking. Thus, using two condoms (or “double bagging”, as it’s sometimes referred to) is not necessary and might result in a broken condom.

If you keep all of this in mind, you will be less likely to have to deal with a broken condom. However, if in fact the condom does break (mistakes happen - it’s OK), there are options (such as emergency contraception and STD testing) available to help you.