A: Studies done on the subject put the average condom breakage rate at about 2% and user error accounts for most broken condoms rather that faulty condom construction.

It sounds like you are putting your condoms on correctly. We’re assuming that you don’t have sharp nails or somehow rip the condom (like opening the package with your teeth), but that could be a reason for breakage. Condom breakage could be due to several things, including the reason you mentioned. So, a few big questions to consider include:

Are you using a water based lubricant?
How much time are you doing active penetration/vigorous thrusting with a condom?
Where are you storing your condoms?
How old are your condoms?
How are you opening your condoms?

Family Health International has an interesting article on breakage and slippage of male condoms.

It could be that you’re not using enough lube or that you are using the wrong kind of lubrication. For instance, if you are using a latex condom with an oil-based lubricant, that will definitely break down the latex of the condom. There is a great website you could visit for all things condom; it’s www.condomania.com (and they also have a size guide there). Notice also that when you click on Lubes at the Condomania site, they don’t even have a listing for oil-based lubricants. That’s because oil breaks down latex.

There could be other reasons for the breakage including that you don’t have the right size condom for you, or the expiration date for the condom has passed, or the condom has been exposed to heat.

A: It is possible to find a condom that will work for you. Condoms come in hundreds of shapes and sizes. If you are able to browse the internet, please check out this site, www.condomania.com. You don’t have to buy from there, but you can look at the brands and styles and then go to your local store to buy them.

Also check out this page on the site which shows condoms with more headroom and a tight fitting base.
http://secure.condomania.com/products.asp?dept=40

In general, ensure the condom is applied correctly. Pull the foreskin back before putting it on, then push forward over the head of the penis once the condom been fully unrolled.

We are not sure why your foreskin became tight. It could be due to temperature or arousal levels. It sounds like it recovered so that’s good news. For your girlfriend who bites and pulls on your foreskin, you will just need to tell her what you like. She is probably just trying to please you and find out what feels good. The skin may be fun to play with. If you like it you should tell her or make happy noises. If you want her to do something else then tell her that too.

A: You heard right – silicone dildos can be boiled for 5-10 minutes to become sterile. You can also run them through your dishwasher on the top rack and they’ll be safe to use. Silicone is great because of this and one of the reasons they’re so popular is that they can be properly cleaned between uses on different folks.

A: We agree with MTSS and do not recommend the use of condoms with Nonoxynol-9. It can cause irritation which can let viruses such as herpes, HIV and other STD’s enter the body more easily. This is a concern for both men and women. Our recommendation is using condoms without Nonoxynol-9.

You can find more information on WebMD and Gaylife.about.com.

A: Continuing to use the same condom after ejaculating in it does increase the chance that slippage will occur, especially if the penis softens after ejaculation, between orgasms.

It is generally recommended that condoms are changed after each sex act. Because you are continuing the same sex act, it would be a good idea to try to notice how hard or soft you are between orgasms and act accordingly. That is, if your multiple orgasms come in quick succession and you stay hard, there is less chance of sperm getting outside of the condom. If what you mean by having multiple orgasms is that you get soft in between, but you are still having orgasms close together in time then the condom is more likely to slip.

When you are done, hold the base of the condom as you pull out to prevent spills. You can also check the base of the condom during sex to make sure it is still properly in place. If the condom slips or sperm gets outside of the condom and into the vagina then there is a possibility of pregnancy.

A: There are urban myths that having unprotected sex in a hot tub prevents pregnancy and STDs. These are definitely myths. Having sex without condoms can result in pregnancy or an STD regardless whether your in a hot tub or not. The chlorine in the water does not protect you. If possible, have a condom on when you have sex. Know your partner and also ask their “history.” It may help make a better decision on whether to have sex in the hot tub or at all.

Also, hot tubs have a lot of bacteria. Sometimes when women have sex in hot tubs they might develop a urinary tract infection.

PS- we’re eagerly awaiting an answer!

A: Using two different forms of birth control, i.e. the pill and condoms together can even further reduce your chance of pregnancy. Either one of these methods, used separately, can be over 95% effective, so combined they are quite effective indeed.

A condom may reduce your sensation a bit and prolong your ability to have intercourse without ejaculating. However keep in mind that as this is your first experience, what’s going on with your brain may be the most important variable. Also, you have not established a baseline to determine how sex works best for you. So it would be good to go easy on yourself and be open to trying a bunch of different approaches to figure out what works best for you and your partner.

There are lots of different condoms to choose from. It’s good to try a whole bunch of different ones to see what you like best. The size and shape of your penis might skew your decision in one way or another. Some of the world’s best-selling condoms are Durex Extra Sensitive and Crown Skinless Skin. Many condom companies give reviews of different condoms and user impressions of different styles so that you can better determine what might work for you. You could try condomdepot or condomwizard.

If your partner would like to help you pick out and put on the condom that could be fun! Just remember when putting on a condom to be careful not to scratch it with your nails, hold the reservoir tip to make sure there’s no air bubble, and make sure you put it on the right way, with the roll on the outside, so you can roll it down easily. If you put in on backwards, you’ll know because it won’t roll down easily, so just get a new condom and try again. She might even try putting it on with her mouth, that’s fun for some folks