Condom Failure? Questions

[Toritundra]

Hi there!

I have some questions about what is a condom failure. My boyfriend and I seem to be having this issue where the condom slips off after ejaculation. One time it got lost inside the vagina and this month it came off but with the rim outside the vagina.

Does this count as a condom failure? I took plan b the day after the slip offs and am anxiously waiting for the period to arrive in the next 3 days. I'm not on another form of birth control.

Are there reasons why the condoms slide off at times? We use lube and latex free condoms. We changed brands and we thought the new one fit better--until that slid off too!

Is there anything we can do to prevent this from happening? How dangerous is a condom slip where it's half in and half out of the vagina?

Thank you so much!

[Urna]

Hello Toritundra, and welcome to Scarleteen!

If the condom is slipping off in the ways you described, it's condom failure in the sense that it's not working like it should. I'd recommend going through this guide: Condom Basics: A User's Manual to ensure that you're taking all the right steps.

I think that the malfunction could be due to one of two things: either the condom's still too large/ill-fitting, or the base of the condom isn't being held onto when your boyfriend pulls out post-ejaculation. If the latter is the case, then that's easily fixable. But I'd still recommend going over your entire procedure using the manual as a checklist, and supplementing condoms with another method of birth control until you figure out what the issue is. And while I can't give you a numerical estimation of how dangerous the half-in half-out kind of condom slip is, it is definitely too risky to overlook.

Please let us know if that was helpful, and if you have any other questions.

[Toritundra]

Thank you so much! I asked him if he holds the base when he pulls out and he admitted he never remembers to do that--which is probably the issue we're having. We also use latex free condoms so I wonder if those stretch out more than latex? I've heard the latex free ones are slightly less effective.

[Urna]

Great, I'm glad you found the root of the issue! Most non-latex condoms (specifically polyurethane condoms, because few people use lambskin condoms [which aren't very effective at all]) are less stretchy than latex condoms are, plus they have a looser fit, and are thus prone to breakage or slippage. But polyisoprene condoms, which are made of a synthetic rubber, are stretchier than latex and provide similar levels of protection.