Scarleteen

Hi there,
I really want to have sex with my boyfriend for the first time in the Fall. I have bad pregnancy anxiety but I really feel I have come along way with dealing with it, and I feel within the next few months I'm going to be ready to have sex. I don't want to go on any oral birth control, I just want to use condoms. I know we will have to get the proper lubricant and store the condoms correctly etc., to avoid breaking, but if we make sure we use the condom properly, and even use the pull out method in addition, why is the success rate only 98% with proper use? What is the other risk? Can the sperm get through the conform even if it's used properly?

Thank you!

Hi xoxo127,

So, the thing to understand about those rates is that they are figured over a year of use of that method, not just a single instance. So, in a year of use, there's a chance that either the condom is not used correctly and fails, or it was not used for all activities that posed a risk. If you use it and it neither breaks nor comes off, then you can assume it did its job.

I will say that we can never say that intercourse is 100% risk free. So, if you have serious pregnancy fears, consider whether or not you're comfortable with those odds, or if you think it will trigger your fears. You mention not wanting to go on the pill. Would you be interested in another type of hormonal BC, like the IUD or implant?