How To Use A Condom With Pictures

Don’t keep condoms in your back pocket, wallet, or glovebox. If you think you may get lucky, put a couple in your wallet or car right before you hit the town. Don’t leave them there for days or weeks. Store condoms in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Keep condoms in their wrappers until you’re ready to use them.

Check out the wrapper for any signs of obvious rips or tears. If the package is torn or ripped, toss the condom out and use a new one. If the condom is sticky, brittle, or looks discolored, toss it out and use a new one. [2] X Research source

You should also put on a condom before oral sex, anal sex, or oral-anal contact. You can contract an STD from oral sex, so it’s important to still use a condom for these activities. A condom can be cut open to cover someone’s vulva during oral sex or to cover the anus during oral-anal contact. You may also want to put on a condom before mutual masturbation. This will keep fluids from getting on your hands that could easily be transmitted to your partner’s genitals or mouth. If you are using a sex toy, use a condom on the toy as well. The materials used to make some of the toys are not always safe to use in your body (like plastics containing phthalates). It can be hard to keep toys clean, meaning bacteria can build up, especially on toys made of porous materials.

Don’t get carried away in your passion. Don’t shred open the foil, and stay away from scissors, teeth, machetes, or any other sharp instrument to open a condom wrapper, or you could tear the condom itself! A torn condom won’t protect against pregnancy or STDs. [4] X Research source If it’s your last condom and you destroy it, the party’s over!

Place the condom on your thumb, but don’t unroll it. Let it balance there like a little hat. Run your pointer finger down the side of the condom, from the tip to the edge. If your finger catches on the rim, it is right-side-out. If your finger slides smoothly off the rim, then it is inside-out. If the condom is inside out, hold the rim of the condom with the inside-out tip pointing towards your mouth. Blow on the tip to invert it and turn it right-side-out. Cautionary tale: don’t unroll the condom, as unraveling it will reduce the condom’s efficacy—and make it frustratingly difficult to put on.

Do not apply lotion, baby oil, petroleum jelly, or oil-based lube, as it will degrade and weaken the latex.

The condom should go from the package to your genitals relatively quickly. Don’t unwrap the condom until you are fully erect and ready to use it. Never try to reuse a condom.

Pinching the reservoir shut with one hand, place the condom against the tip of the erect penis. With your other hand, push your pubic hair out of the way if necessary. Then, gently roll the condom down the entire shaft of the penis, smoothing out any air bubbles that may appear. Follow these same steps for putting a condom on a sex toy.

Do not over-apply lube, as too much may cause the condom to fall off and friction is necessary for stimulation. Again, never apply an oil- or petroleum-based lubricant to a latex condom, as these can cause it to deteriorate. [10] X Research source Water- and silicon-based lubricants are both safe to use with latex, but water-based lube washes off more easily and won’t stain your sheets.

You should also replace the condom if you are using it on a sex toy that you’re sharing between partners. Basically, if the condom has your fluids in or on it, change it out before sharing. [14] X Research source

Don’t flush condoms down the toilet. Most septic systems can’t handle them, and they may clog up the toilet. [16] X Research source

Check out the wrapper for any signs of obvious rips or tears. If the package is torn or ripped, toss the condom out and use a new one.

Female condoms don’t protect people with vaginas during oral sex. For that, you will need to use a dental dam, or a condom that is cut open. Don’t use an internal condom and external condom at the same time. It doesn’t provide twice the protection — in fact, it can cause breakage in either or both condoms. [18] X Research source

Don’t get carried away in your passion. Don’t shred open the package, and stay away from scissors, teeth, machetes, or any other sharp instrument to open a condom wrapper, or you could tear the condom itself! A torn condom won’t protect against pregnancy or STDs. [20] X Research source Female condoms are more expensive than male condoms, at about $4 apiece. [21] X Research source

You should feel it meet resistance at some point. That’s a sign you’ve reached your cervix. [27] X Research source Make sure the condom is not twisted inside your vagina.

It is possible to use the same method to insert an internal condom into your anus for anal sex;[29] X Research source however, the easiest way is to remove the inner ring and place the internal condom on the penis (or sex toy). The penis is then inserted into the anus. [30] X Research source

Because female condoms are made from polyurethane or nitrile (a synthetic latex)[32] X Research source and not latex, it is safe to use oil-based, water-based, or silicon-based lube with a female condom.

The condom slips The penis or sex toy enters your vagina (or anus) outside the condom pouch during sex The outer ring of the condom enters the vagina You may wish to consider using emergency contraception (the morning-after pill) if your partner has ejaculated inside your vagina, on the vaginal opening, or if semen drips from the anus onto the vaginal opening.

Don’t flush condoms down the toilet. Most septic systems can’t handle them, and they may clog up the toilet. [38] X Research source Don’t reuse female condoms. Sure, they’re expensive — but accidental pregnancy or an STD costs way more.