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Condom myths While studies consistently demonstrate condom effectiveness, a number of popular misconceptions combine to impede acceptance and proper use. Some common examples: Myth 1: Condoms don't prevent pregnancy. The truth: Condoms are about 98% effective in preventing pregnancy when used correctly. Correct use centers on storage, opening, and application. The tests that show the 98% figure involves couples that are new to condom use over a period of a year. Most mistakes occur when couples are new to condoms, within the first month or two. If the studies were performed after people were well versed in condom use, that figure would soar well above 99%. Myth 2: Condoms don't stop the HIV virus because it's smaller than the pores in latex, and passes through the barrier. The truth: The high heat process used to make latex condoms converts raw latex into vulcanized rubber with an altered molecular cross section that stops HIV. Small helium molecules can work their way through balloons over a period of days. Condoms, however, are quickly double dipped to provide two separate layers of protection and the additional barrier between the layers. Myth 3: Men can't feel sensation when they wear a condom. The truth: You could actually feel as good or better than if you were having unprotected sex. The walls of some new supersensitive condoms are just .04 millimeters thick, which is about half the average. New 'inspiralling' designs leave the upper third of some condoms looser, and with tiny curved interior walls. As these rub against the penis, they create significantly elevated sensation. More than you might get otherwise. Myth 4: Condoms fail too often, and they're unreliable. The truth: Condoms are usually extraordinarily strong. They're tested for a failure rate of four per 1,000, with fluid pressure far beyond what humans can create. If more than four in 1,000 condoms burst in testing, the entire batch - which can contain many thousands of condoms - is destroyed. The deeper you examine how or where condoms fail, the more you realize that they're not going to fail unless you've been lax in how you use them. Other myths about STD and pregnancy abound and are often used as excuses to forgo a condom: "You can get pregnant when you're nursing. People who swear they've had just one or two long-term absolutely monogamous partners repeatedly transfer sexually transmitted diseases. And both STD and pregnancies are repeated outcomes from guys who did not have observable discharges. |