Store condoms in their wrappers in a cool, dry place, away from
direct sunlight. Check the expiration date on the condom. Open the
condom wrapper by using the easy-tear edges. Use a male condom by
pinching the reservoir at the tip of the condom shut, then unrolling an
undamaged condom down the length of a fully erect penis before any
intimate contact occurs. Use a female condom by inserting the closed,
inner ring of the undamaged condom into the vagina before getting
intimate. Remove the condom carefully to avoid spills.
1
Using a Male Condom
1
Store condoms safely. Condoms can become brittle and
more likely to break if you don’t store them correctly. Condoms that are
exposed to heat or light are more likely to tear.[1]
Don’t keep condoms in your back pocket, wallet, or glovebox. If you
think you may get lucky, put a couple in your wallet or car right before
you hit the town. Don’t leave them there for days or weeks.
Store condoms in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
Keep condoms in their wrappers until you’re ready to use them.
2
Check the condom package. Before you purchase
condoms, check the expiration date printed on the box. You should also
double check the date stamped on the wrapper before you use it. If it’s
expired, toss it out. Never use an expired condom. It could tear or fail.[2]
Check out the wrapper for any signs of obvious rips or tears. If the
package is torn or ripped, toss the condom out and use a new one.
If the condom is sticky, brittle, or looks discolored, toss it out and use a new one.[3]
3
Put the condom on before your penis touches your partner’s genitals at all.
Men produce fluid known as pre-ejaculate (“pre-cum”) that can transmit
STDs and, in some cases, contains sperm that can lead to pregnancy
(though this is unlikely). Before you play, wrap it up.[4]
You should also put on a condom before oral sex, anal sex, or
oral-anal contact. You can contract an STD from oral sex, so it's
important to still use a condom for these activities. A condom can be
cut open to cover a woman's vulva during oral sex or to cover the anus
during oral-anal contact.
You may also want to put on a condom before mutual masturbation.
This will keep fluids from getting on your hands that could easily be
transmitted to your partner's genitals or mouth.
If you are using a sex toy, use a condom on the toy as well. The
materials used to make some of the toys are not always safe to use in
your body (like plastics containing phthalates). It can be hard to keep
toys clean, meaning bacteria can build up, especially on toys made of
porous materials.
4
Open the condom wrapper using the easy-tear edges.
Push the condom away from the edge you plan to tear, and use the
easy-tear edges. These are the zig-zag edges on either side of the
wrapper that are designed to tear apart quickly and easily.
Don't get carried away in your passion. Don't shred open the foil,
and stay away from scissors, teeth, machetes, or any other sharp
instrument to open a condom wrapper, or you could tear the condom
itself! A torn condom won’t protect against pregnancy or STDs.[5]
If it's your last condom and you destroy it, party's over!
Determine which way the condom is rolled
There should be a lip on the edge of the outside
5
Determine which way the condom is rolled. This can be
difficult to do, particularly if you’re in the dark. However, checking
by sight is the safest way to determine which way the condom is rolled,
so you don't risk unrolling it too far or tearing it with your fingers.
If the condom is right-side-out, there will be a lip or rim on the edge.
If it's inside-out, the edge will be smooth. You can use your fingers
to help you:[6]
Place the condom on your thumb, but don't unroll it. Let it balance there like a little hat.
Run your pointer finger down the side of the condom, from the tip to the edge.
If your finger catches on the rim, it is right-side-out. If your finger slides smoothly off the rim, then it is inside-out.
If the condom is inside out, hold the rim of the condom with the
inside-out tip pointing towards your mouth. Blow on the tip to invert it
and turn it right-side-out.
Cautionary tale: don't unroll the condom, as unraveling it will
reduce the condom's efficacy—and make it frustratingly difficult to put
on.
Make sure the reservoir at the tip of the
condom is pointing in the right direction
6
Make sure the reservoir at the tip of the condom is pointing in the right direction.
This reservoir should already be on the outer tip of the condom, but it
can sometimes become inverted during packaging. Make sure the reservoir
is oriented so that the rest of the condom rolls away from it.
7
Lube it up. Consider placing a small drop of
water-based lubricant inside the reservoir. This can make the condom
easier to apply, especially if you are uncircumcised.[7] Make sure this is a very small drop, as you don’t want to compete with the sperm for space inside the reservoir tip.
Do not apply lotion, baby oil, petroleum jelly, or oil-based lube, as it will degrade and weaken the latex.[8]
8
Make sure the penis is fully erect. A condom should
always fit snugly over a penis, leaving no tight or baggy spots. If
rolled over a penis that is not yet fully erect, it will fit awkwardly
and be more likely to fall off or tear during sex.[9]
The condom should go from the package to your genitals relatively
quickly. Don't unwrap the condom until you are fully erect and ready to
use it. Never try to reuse a condom.
Pinch the entire reservoir at the tip of the condom shut
9
Pinch the entire reservoir at the tip of the condom shut.
This eliminates the possibility of creating an air pocket inside the
condom when it is worn, reducing the chance of breakage and providing
the semen with a place to go during ejaculation.[10]
10
Roll the condom on. The condom should easily unroll
down the length of the shaft. If it turns out that you are trying to put
the condom on backwards, throw it away and start over.[11]
An erect penis produces fluid prior to ejaculation (called “pre-cum”)
that can contain sperm. If a condom has been exposed to this fluid,
flipping it over and re-applying it may cause pregnancy and/or the
transmission of an STD. To apply the condom, follow these steps:[12]
Pinching the reservoir shut with one hand, place the condom against
the tip of the erect penis. With your other hand, push your pubic hair
out of the way if necessary.
Then, gently roll the condom down the entire shaft of the penis, smoothing out any air bubbles that may appear.
Follow these same steps for putting a condom on a sex toy.
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