Why are condoms not a good choice of contraception?

Question

Ive been having sex with my girlfriend for quite a while and the only contraception we use is a condom but in college recently I had a sexual health awareness talk and the woman who gave the talk said condoms are not a good choice of contraception if you want to avoid pregnancy? I know wearing a condom also stops you from getting STD's but I thought they were used to stop pregnancy aswell?

Answer 1

I believe what she was trying to get at, is that condoms alone, may not be 100% effective in stopping pregnancy. They recommend using other forms of birth control in unison with condoms. I applaud you for using condoms with your girlfriend. You'd be amazed how many people out there don't use even those.

Answer 2

I agree with Dicky Snapples. Condoms ARE the best way to prevent pregnancy and STDs. If you buy good quality and the right size and you use them properly then it shouldn't be a problem. There is a great myth about condoms breaking....it doesn't happen that often. Even if the condom splits that doesn't mean your girlfriend would get pregnant. She would have to be at the right time in her cycle and even then it still might not happen! The fact that you have been having sex with your girlfriend for quite a while without her getting pregnant while using condoms is enough proof that it's working!
Other people have suggested that your girlfriend uses the pill as well. I would be very careful about that as it disrupts the female cycle and can cause a large variety of side effects.

Answer 3

You are way too young! You should really wait until you're 18. I know it sounds like a long time, but you really are a child until then. Even if you feel older for your age when you turn 15/16 you're still too young. I was in college at 16, I thought I was so much more mature than my peers. I had my priorities straight with school, but really, I was still a child. Age is not just a number, it shows you're experience in life. Even if you have more experiences than your peers, you still have only lived the same amount of years, the way that you think is not the same as it is going to be in a few years, and a few years after that etc. You WILL regret it when you're an adult if you have intercourse at your age now. Because you were raped is even more of a reason not too. Many young children that are abused as kids go on to be sexually promiscuous as they get older and it can turn into a sex addiction. Instead of having sex with your boyfriend, I would recommend seeing a counselor about your past, and get some healing. And oral sex is just as bad as intercourse! You can get STDs from those too. All that I am saying is coming from a mental aspect, it can really mess you up emotionally and mentally to be sexually active at such a young age. Whatever route you choose, NEVER have sex or oral sex without a condom, EVER. The only time you should have unprotected is when you and your partner are both tested, and don't just take his word for it, go with him, and he should go with you as well. And at that point if you're having unprotected sex, you should only do so if you can be responsible for the consequences of your actions.

Answer 4

Condoms are "Effective" 95 percent of the time. There is a 5% chance that the condom will break during intercourse even if it is used properly. Then again, "Effective" does not include human error. When human error, ie. error in usage, is factored in, the effectiveness of condoms in preventing pregnancy and STDs drops to around 87%. The effectiveness of condoms can be increased by using one with a spermicide. A spermicide is a substance that kills sperm. However, make sure the spermicide is not nonoxynol-9, because nonoxynol-9 tends to irritate and dry out the skin, and actually increase your chances of getting an STD.

Answer 5

It does and as far as I know it's one of the most surefire ways to prevent pregnancy. Even if your girlfriend were on a pill or other contraception reception you should use a condom. Condoms are no good for certain STDs that may be on the exterior of the genitals, but for pregnancy, I've always known it to be a good choice.

Answer 6

I don't know what that woman was going on about. I've been with my now husband since I was 16. I'm now 31. The only contraceptive we've ever used in fifteen years is condoms. We have two children, both of which were planned pregnancies.
We have never ever had a problem with condoms, and we'll continue to use them with confidence.

Answer 7

What?the woman who gave that talk needs a slap! no form of contraception is 100% safe but a condom is about the safest youre going to get against pregnancy and stds,,it reduces the chances of either to next to nothing.

Answer 8

the government is trying to stop all these single and teenage pregnancy's and sti's. they are advising people to use as much contraception as possible,

as a male you have little choice but to use a condom, but you should always wear one anyway because sti's are all over the place and some do not have symptoms until you have had it about a year. i.e. chlamydia. things like herpes may not show for weeks. etc etc......

i personally think it is advisable for you girlfriend to maybe go on the pill, i have been on the pill for years and i have never had any problems, unless of course you are planning for a baby, i don't see any reason not to go on the pill.

although it has been known for girls to get pregnant in hope to keep a man which is ethically and morally wrong.

so be sensible but have fun.

Answer 9

Measuring the penis when it isn't erect is pointless, since the length and bulk are affected by various temporary factors, such as the ambient temperature. Even the largest male organ can shrink to virtually nothing if the man goes for a swim in cold water. However, at normal temperatures a non-erect p enis usually measures between 8.5 cm and 10.5 cm (3-4 inches) from tip to base.
Learn more about techniques to enlarge your penis https://tr.im/llcRP
The average figure is about 9.5 cm (3.75 inches). Of course, it's true that some men have big penises and some have smaller ones, just as some men have small feet and some have big feet, but the measurement is not – repeat not – an index of virility.

Answer 10

Doesnt sound like that woman has any idea what she is talking about! condoms are the best way to avoid getting STD's and stop u getting pregnant to! however i suppose there is always the risk of them splitting so some people go on the pill as well as using condoms to be sure! but i think u will be absolutely fine just using condoms! i think they are the best way personally!