Condoms are an effective method of preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases when used correctly. Using condoms as a contraception method for period sex is highly recommended and prevents STDs, including HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, HPV, and trichomoniasis. Condoms are easy to use during vaginal and anal sex, and even if you are using sex toys, covering them with a condom is an excellent way to protect yourself and your partner.

Properly using condoms prevents problems such as splitting or breaking during sex. Read this step-by-step guide on how to use condoms correctly.

1. Before you tear the condom packet, check its expiration date to ensure the condom is not expired. An expired condom has low chances of effectiveness, and it is prone to tearing or breaking during use.
2. Examine the package to ensure it is not brittles or torn before opening. Then open the packet carefully with your hand. Avoid using your mouth or scissors since you can easily tear the condom unknowingly. 
3. Ensure your hands are clean. When you open the condom, try to locate the direction of the reservoir tip with your eyes. It looks like a dome. That helps you know the right direction in which you should roll the condom into the penis. The rim of the condom forms a circle around the dome.
4. Lubricant can improve comfort during sex, and it also prevents the condom from breaking. You should only use water-based sex lubes when using condoms to avoid breakage. Oil-based lubes, including petroleum jelly, vaseline, lotion, balms, creams, and even mineral oil, should not be used with condoms since they can cause breakage. You can pour a little lubricant inside the tip of the condom for easy rolling onto the penis, and you can even add more on the outside of the condom after wearing it for comfort during sex.
5. If you are sensitive to latex condoms, you should use latex-free condoms made of other materials such as lambskin, polyurethane, or polyisoprene.
6. Roll the condom onto a hard penis. If you place the condom the wrong way, do not turn it around and reuse it since it may have already come into contact with the fluids on the penis. Instead, use a new one and roll it in the right way. Leave a bit of space on the tip of the condom to collect semen. Pinch the tip to ensure no air is trapped that could cause the condom to break during sex.
7. Ensure you put on the condom before contacting your partner’s mouth or genital parts, including the vagina, vulva, or anus. Note that sperm can be present in the pre-ejaculatory fluid.
8. Ensure your condom is on the whole time you are having sex. After ejaculation, ensure you hold the rim of the condom when pulling out of your partner’s body and remove it while your penis is erect to avoid letting the semen out.
9. Please dispose of the condom in a garbage bin rather than flashing it because it can block the toilet.

The takeaway

Condoms are not reusable, and you should use a new one every time you have sex and even when you switch from one kind of sex to another, such as vaginal to anal sex.