Are condoms safe enough to prevent pregnancy?

If you use condoms perfectly every single time you have sex, they’re 98\% effective at preventing pregnancy. But people aren’t perfect, so in real life condoms are about 85\% effective — that means about 15 out of 100 people who use condoms as their only birth control method will get pregnant each year.

Which condoms are best for preventing pregnancy?

Latex condoms are the most widely available and are not expensive – so are the first choice for many couples. Latex is very reliable at preventing pregnancy and STIs.

Are condoms alone enough to prevent pregnancy?

And using a separate spermicide plus a condom can give you some extra protection from pregnancy. But when it comes to using condoms alone, regular condoms are just as effective as spermicidal condoms. And when used correctly, condoms are really good at preventing both pregnancy and STDs.

Does doubling condoms help prevent pregnancy?

There is no scientific evidence that suggests that wearing two condoms works better than one condom if you are correctly wearing a condom. 1  So this means that is fine to just rely on wearing just one condom as your birth control method. After all, condoms are 85\% to 98\% effective for preventing pregnancy. 2 

How effective are condoms against STDs and pregnancy?

Yes, condoms are very good at preventing pregnancy if they’re used correctly. They’re effective about 85\% of the time. That means for every 100 people who have sex using just a condom, 15 will have an accidental pregnancy. The only way to prevent a pregnancy 100\% of the time is to not have sex.

Are condoms with spermicide bad when pregnant?

There’s no evidence that spermicides cause birth defects, and spermicide condoms are safe to use when you’re pregnant. There are some downsides to this type of condom, however. Spermicide is known to lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs) in some women.