In a perfect world, a condom would be 100% effective every single time it’s used. But if that were the case, we wouldn’t have TV shows like “Teen Mom” or “16 and Pregnant.”
In reality, condoms are actually 98% effective, and that’s when they’re used flawlessly. But sex is rarely flawless and when we take into account human error, condoms are honestly just 82% effective. Part of the reason for this statistic is that these little pieces of latex (or whatever type of material floats your boat) aren’t indestructible.
When a condom breaks—yes, even if it’s just a tiny tear— the protective qualities essentially go out the window. We can pretend that you won’t ever find yourself in this predicament, but on the off chance you happen to be on private browsing, searching “what to do if a condom breaks,” I got you.
1. Don’t Panic
Maybe the condom was past its expiration date or it wasn’t put on correctly, but it broke and there’s no re-do button to make that go away. So take a deep breath or two. You aren’t the first person to deal with this—accidents happen.
If you notice the condom breaks while you’re getting it on, stop right away. Sorry to kill the mood, but the less exposure, the better. If the both of you aren’t freaking out too much, you could always just put on a new one and keep it moving. But you’ll have to deal with the situation eventually.
2. Don’t Attempt To “Clean” Yourself Out, Ladies
Douching will increase your chances of getting a pelvic infection rather than helping the situation at all. You can’t solve the problem by cleaning out sperm and/or potential STIs from your lady parts like that. If you’re really feeling that paranoid, try peeing right away to flush out any random sperm that might be lurking.
3. Purchase Plan B
If you’re concerned that you might be about to reenact “Juno” because the condom broke, head to your closest drugstore or supermarket ASAP. Plan B is more effective if you take it sooner rather than later.
It has a lot of negative stigmas attached to it, but don’t read too much into these rumors. Plan B is just emergency contraception—ignore those abortion pill myths—and it prevents ovulation and fertilization if you take it in a decent amount of time. The only downside is you have to watch out for those side effects.
4. Get Tested
Broken condoms leave you exposed to other risks aside from pregnancy. Head to the nearest Planned Parenthood (or your own doctor if you feel more comfortable) for STI testing as soon as you can. Better safe than sorry.
5. Refresh Your Condom Knowledge
You don’t want to go through this more than once. For future reference, check the expiration date on your condoms. If they’re old, toss ’em; there’s a higher chance of them breaking. And you might want to review a couple videos on how to put a condom on properly. I’m sure there are some extra bananas lying around you can practice on.
I told you; this is not the end of the world—or your sex life as you know it. The good news is that only 2-5% of condoms break or tear during use, so the odds are in your favor and chances are you won’t make the same mistake twice now.