How are Condoms Tested?

Condoms are used during sex in order for one to have safe sex hence you can’t test a condom in the process of having sex; that means that you will be risking your health due to ignorance. There are a lot of ways of testing condoms. These kinds of tests are what all governments use. These tests include testing the durability of the entire condom while some measure only part of the condom with other tests available for testing holes.

The more common of all tests is testing empty condoms which involve putting water in them. Electrical conductance test is a test given to a condom to see it if blocks electricity. It is a non-destructive test. An intact condom should not allow electricity to pass through it. A condom that has been used for testing purposes is normally not sold.

There are some other tests that are also destructive to the condom that is being tested such as water leak test which is done by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A condom is filled with 10 ounces of water and is checked for leaks. The tensile test, also known as the stretch test, entails slicing a cross-section band from a condom and verifying its elasticity and strength. Another destructive test is the airburst test. It involves the inflation of the strength is determined by the maximum volume of air tolerated by it.

There is also another test in the USA that involves the packaging. These are packaging integrity test and the lubricant test. This is done by taking a sample of condoms from a batch of around 1000 condoms. The condoms are wrapped and then warmed in an oven at 70 degrees Celsius. The percentage of the fraction that passes the test from each batch is then calculated. The tested condoms are then a sample of the others in the batch. In the USA, a batch is considered unfit for sale if 5 out of 1000 fail any tests.

When different batches pass the FDA test, it does not necessarily mean that all of them are of comparable quality since the research done by consumer groups show that a few brands had a failure of over 10% when air burst test was done to them. The government’s sexual analog that is used as a means of condom evaluation include air burst, water and stretch tests.

Condom tests vary from one country to another since they have to go through a different government agency. The agency standardizes condoms and it makes sure that they are safe and meet regulated safety requirements.

Before the latex condom is made, the condom’s material undergoes several comprehensive quality control tests. After they’ve been made they undergo a series of 5 stringent tests to ensure perfection and reliability. They also undergo electronic tests. Airburst and water tests are also done to the samples from each batch daily. Whatever the case, make sure you use condoms whose quality you’re sure about.