How effective is the condom against pregnancy?
If women use the male condom every time they have sexual intercourse and follow instructions every time, it is 97% effective. This means that if 100 women use the male condom all the time and always use it perfectly, 3 women will become pregnant in a year. It’s obvious that the male condom is most effective against pregnancy when it is used all the time and always used correctly. If women use the male condom, but do not use it perfectly, it is 86% effective. This means that if 100 women use the male condom, but do not use it perfectly every time, at least 14 women will become pregnant in a year. When used all of the time and when used correctly, condoms are very good at preventing pregnancy. Most condom failures are because of improper use. Using out-of-date condoms is another reason that condoms break.
