Male Contraception

Well, there is not a great deal of choices lads! You can currently use a condom, or get a vasectomy! ('The snip') The old-school methods of either not having sex or withdrawing (pulling out before 'the event') are unsatisfactory and unreliable in several ways!

You are far too young to be thinking about a vasectomy, so that leaves you with condoms.

Condoms are highly reliable if used correctly for both avoiding unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections or worse.

Condoms come in all manner of shapes, sizes, colours and flavours. Condoms are a barrier method of contraception, and stop sperm and an egg getting together.

A male condom fits over a lad's erect penis and is made of thin latex (rubber) or polyurethane (plastic).

How effective are condoms?

If a condom is used as per its instructions, it is 98% effective, meaning 2 in 100 women will fall pregnant whilst using condoms.

You do have to be careful when using a condom to ensure it does its job correctly as sperm can still get into the vagina during sex.

This could happen if:

The penis touches the area around the vagina before a condom is put on (pre-ejaculation fluid, which leaks out of the penis before ejaculation, may contain sperm)
The condom splits
The condom slips off
The condom gets damaged, for example by sharp fingernails or jewellery
You use oil-based products (such as baby lotions or suntan lotion) with latex condoms. These damage the condoms.

Where can you get condoms?

Male condoms are free from family planning clinics, sexual health clinics and young people's services such as SHOWT, some general practices (GP) and GUM clinics. You can buy them from a pharmacy or by mail order as well as from pub vending machines (not that you go to pubs!) supermarkets, garages and other shops.

There really is no excuse for you not to have some - you never know when you will need one!

There are advantages and disadvantages to condoms.

Both a male contraceptive pill and implant are currently in development, but until they are released, make sure you have a packet of condoms!

The advantages of condoms:

You only need to use them when you have sex.
They help to protect both partners from some sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
There are no medical side-effects from using condoms.
Male condoms come in a variety of types, shapes and sizes to suit everyone.
Male condoms are easily available.

The disadvantages of condoms:

Putting them on can interrupt sex.
A condom can sometimes slip off or split. Research shows that polyurethane condoms split more often than latex ones.
Some people are sensitive to the chemicals in latex condoms, though this is rare.
When using a condom, the man has to pull out with the condom still on as soon as he has ejaculated. He must be careful not to spill any semen (the creamy ejaculation fluid that contains sperm).

How do I use a condom?

If bought in a multipack, you will find instructions on the condom packet or more common as a leaflet inside the pack. You can also ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Use a new condom each time you have sex. Check the 'use by' date on the packet. Be careful how you take the condom out of the packet - sharp fingernails and jewellery can tear the condom.

Find the teat or closed end and squeeze it to get rid of air. This will also help you roll the condom on the right way round.
Put the condom on when the penis is fully erect and before it touches the vagina or genital area.
Still holding the end, roll the condom all the way down the penis. If it won't go to the base then it's probably on inside out. If so, start again with a new condom as sperm could now be on the first one.
As soon as you cum, and before your penis goes soft, hold the condom firmly in place while pulling out. Do this slowly and carefully so you do not spill any semen.
Take off the condom, wrap it and put it in a bin. Do not put it down the toilet. Make sure your penis does not touch the genital area again, and if you have sex again, use a new condom.