How often do condoms break?
In the U.S.A. the breakage rate of condoms is less than 2%. This means that 2 in every 100 condoms will break. Polyurethane condoms break more often than latex condoms, so when using these, you must always have a water-based lubricant available. The main reason that condoms break is that the user is not using it correctly. But condoms can be weakened by other factors.
Condoms hardly ever break if they are stored and used correctly. Studies show that latex condoms break only about 0.4% (4 out of 1000) of the time during the first five uses, and polyurethane condoms break 4% (4 out of 100) of the time during the first five uses. Couples using polyurethane condoms are 9 times more likely to experience breakage than those using latex condoms. When condoms break, it is usually because space for semen was not left at the tip of the condom, the condoms are out-of-date, they have been exposed to heat or sunlight, or they have been torn by teeth or fingernails. Also, using oil-based lubricants, rather than water-based, weakens latex, causing condoms to break. So if you store and use condoms properly, it is very unlikely that your condom will break. What if the condom comes off and I can’t remove it from my vagina? Don’t panic! You can usually reach it with a finger in your vagina. If not, contact your health care provider for an appointment.
Condoms hardly ever break if they are stored and used correctly. Studies show that latex condoms break only about 0.4% (4 out of 1000) of the time during the first five uses, and polyurethane condoms break 4% (4 out of 100) of the time during the first five uses. Couples using polyurethane condoms are 9 times more likely to experience breakage than those using latex condoms. When condoms break, it is usually because space for semen was not left at the tip of the condom, the condoms are out-of-date, they have been exposed to heat or sunlight, or they have been torn by teeth or fingernails. Also, using oil-based lubricants, rather than water-based, weakens latex, causing condoms to break. So if you store and use condoms properly, it is very unlikely that your condom will break.
