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Condoms are one of the most basic sexual health tools. They help to prevent pregnancy, reduce the risk of contracting an STI, and are sold at most drugstores. But how well do you know this safe-sex favorite?

How Well Do You Know Condoms?

Like anything made of rubber, condoms will deteriorate with age. Check the expiration date– and don’t blindly save that one LifeStyles condom from freshman orientation. To ensure your condoms stay effective for as long as possible, store them in a cool, dry place (not in your back pocket or wallet) and keep it in its individual wrapper until you’re ready to use it.

Yes!

Do condoms expire?

Condoms are the third most common form of contraception used by U.S. women (following oral contraceptives and tubal sterilization), according to a 2015 report by the Guttmacher Institute.

Third!

Condoms are the \_\_ most common form of contraception.

While using spermicide in conjunction with condoms can decrease the chance of pregnancy, there is no evidence spermicidal condoms are more effective than standard condoms, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In fact, spermicide in any form (including gels, foams and lubricants) may even increase risk of contracting HIV, so if you or your partner haven’t been tested, go ahead and choose another form of birth control.

Are spermicidal condoms better than standard condoms?

Those strawberry and vanilla flavors come from somewhere, usually from being coated with sugar or corn syrup that can alter the vagina’s pH—potentially leading to a yeast or bacterial infection. Even without the risk of infection, these extra ingredients can cause irritation when used for vaginal or anal sex.

Oral sex!

Are flavored condoms safe for oral, vaginal, and/or anal sex?

Yes– if you’re concerned about STIs. Since the risk of contracting an STI is higher for anal sex than other forms of sexual activity (the HIV transmission risk for receptive anal intercourse is 138 per 10,000 exposures, contrasting 8 per 10,000 exposures for receptive vaginal intercourse, according to the CDC), practicing safe sex is especially important. However, if both you and your partner have been tested, using a condom as a barrier isn’t necessary (though it can help to keep things tidy).

It depends!

Are condoms necessary for anal sex?

You have more to learn about condom usage—which is fair, since not even half of the 50 states require high school sexual education to be factually accurate, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Learn more about condoms by checking out online sources, like Planned Parenthood, Go Ask Alice!, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Study up!

Your sexual health knowledge is pretty solid. Still, you can never be too safe—learn more about condoms by checking out online sources, like Planned Parenthood, Go Ask Alice!, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Good job!

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How Well Do You Know Condoms?

Adapted from my article "The Jays and the Bees: Condoms," from Her Campus JHU .

How Well Do You Know Condoms?

Adapted from my article "The Jays and the Bees: Condoms," from Her Campus JHU .

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