If the Condom Breaks

Trust me. It has happened to the best of us. You are in the midst of enjoying your new relationship and new sexual partner. You think you did everything right. You had the talk before beginning the sexual portion of the relationship.  You openly discussed condom usage and agreed to always wear condoms during sex. Then one day, just like that, it happens.  Despite all the rigorous testing condoms go through, the condom breaks in the throes of passion. Perhaps you put the condom on too tightly, forgetting to pinch a space at the top of the condom after putting it on. Perhaps you didn’t use lubrication. Whatever happened, it can happen to us all and what you do after it happens is important.

Your first reaction is to seize up and stare astounded at the broken piece of latex that was supposed to protect you from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Then panic sets in as your mind reels through every fact you know about STDs and how they are easily transmitted through unprotected sex. If this should happen to you, here’s a quick rundown of what to do.

If you are in the middle of sex (if the man has not yet ejaculated), simply stop what you are doing, throw out the broken condom and place a new condom on. However, if the condom breaks at the end of your lovemaking session after the man has already ejaculated, have him slowly pull out and carefully peel the condom off, or what’s left of it. If able to do so, have both partners take a warm shower and thoroughly wash the genitalia with warm, soapy water. It is strongly suggested that the woman not douche if this happens. While it may seem counterintuitive, douching actually irritates the vaginal membranes and increases the likelihood of an STD being transmitted.

If you have not discussed sexual history with your partner by this point, now is the time to do so. Be open and frank about your sexual past and encourage your partner to do the same. Speak with your physician about having a full workup done for testing STDs, including HIV. Explain to your physician what happened and he/she may be able to offer some valuable advice. He/she may also want you to come in several more times within the year to get retested for HIV. This may seem overly cautious, but it is better to be safe than sorry. You will also want to pay close attention to any strange symptoms you might get that could signal an STD, including a rash, pain, discharge or fever.

You can’t predict when these breakages occur, but you can prevent them from happening by putting the condom on correctly each time. There are also some other things you can do to help prevent condom breakage. Unlike groceries, there is no need to double-bag your condoms. Wearing two condoms can actually increase the likelihood of breakage due to extra friction. If lubrication is needed during sex, always use one that is water-based and avoid oil-based lubrications. Oil tends to thin out the condom. Money may be tight, but you would be ill-advised to use a condom more than once. Use a new condom for every new type of sexual act you will be having.