Male and Female Condoms

Male and Female Condoms are available "over the counter," which means they can be bought at a store without a prescription.

The male latex condom protects against many sexually transmitted diseases—called STDs for short—which are diseases, infections, or illnesses that can spread from one person to another through sexual contact. Some examples of STDs are chlamydia, herpes, HIV, gonorrhea, and syphilis.

What you need to do:

Plan ahead and have the products available whenever you have sex.

Couples should learn about Emergency contraception before using any of the barrier methods. Sometimes called the "morning after pill," Emergency contraception reduces the chance of getting pregnant after unprotected sexual intercourse.

Effectiveness:

This guide gives effectiveness percentages for two categories of contraceptive use: typical use,which includes people who may not always use a method exactly how and when they were supposed to use it, and perfect use, which indicates how effective the method would be if it were always used correctly.

Condom	Typical Use (%)	Perfect Use (%)
Condom Female Male	21 15	5 2

Available methods:

Male condoms, also known as "rubbers," are soft, very thin covers that fit over an erect penis. Condoms are usually made of latex, polyurethane, or sheep intestine. When a male ejaculates (or when fluid comes out of his penis), sperm go into the condom instead of into the vagina. Condoms made of polyurethane or latex help protect against STDs, such as HIV/AIDS, gonorrhea, or syphilis, but sheep intestine condoms do not. Lubricate condoms with a water-based spermicide to help ensure they do not break.

Female condoms, which are made of polyurethane, are placed in a woman's vagina like a diaphragm or cervical cap. The condom covers the inside of the entire vagina—not just the back of the vagina or the cervix. Sperm are trapped in the female condom and can't get to the woman's egg. Lubricate female condoms with a water-based spermicide for ease of use.
To learn more about the female condom, please visit their Web site:
http://www.femalehealth.com/theproduct.html

To learn more about condoms, please visit any of these Web sites or ask your health care provider for more information:

Planned Parenthood: Male Condom
Planned Parenthood: Female Condom
EngenderHealth 'Male Condom' Info
California Family Health Council 'Female Condom' Info
'The Male Condom' Info