How effective are male condoms in preventing unwanted pregnancy?
It is estimated that the percentage of women experiencing an accidental pregnancy within the first year of perfect condom use is approximately three percent, whereas the typical user failure rate is approximately 12 percent per year. The highest failure rates are in women from ages 20 to 24, while the second-highest failure rate is in those under the age of 20. Non-use or inconsistent use probably accounts for most of the difference in condom failure rates between “typical” and “perfect” users. The Pearl index for the careful user is 3.1-4.8/100 women years (failure rate for 100 women using the method for one year).
