The usage of condoms is the most common method to prevent pregnancy, yet still; many of us do not know how to use a condom correctly. Knowing how to use a condom the right way is, however, crucial. You can compare the proper usage of a condom to wearing a seat belt in your car or helmet at your bike. When not done in the right way, it won’t bring you much good. If you know how to use a condom the proper way, it is 98% effective at preventing pregnancy. When doing it wrong, however, the effectiveness of condoms may drop to 85% or even less!

Luckily for us; knowing how to use a condom is no rocket science. Nevertheless, many guys and girls out there still make a number of common mistakes that make the usage of condoms less effective. Throughout this article, Luvkis will share with you 10 tips and common mistakes that people make when using a condom to make sure you never make them again. As a result, you and your partner can have safer sex without any worries about accidentally becoming pregnant.

 

 

1) Pick the right size

The first tip on how to use a condom is picking the right size. This one might sound obvious to you (and it should). Nevertheless, many guys out there tend to believe that one size fits all. With condoms, however, this is not the case!

When using a condom that is too small and tight, it may cause discomfort and even pain to the penis. Too small condoms will restrict the blood flow to your penis which can cause an uncomfortable experience. This is especially the case when wearing it for a longer period of time.

 

 

Using a too large condom brings along a completely different set of dangers. If your rubber is too large, the chances are that it may slide off or leak. When this happens, the whole point of using a condom, i.e. preventing pregnancy, becomes obsolete. Therefore, it is very important to find the size condom that fits you well.

 

2) Check the expiration date

Another essential thing to keep in mind for using your condom in a proper manner is its expiration date. Although condoms won’t ‘’turn bad’’ quickly, it’s still essential to check before usage whether they have not gone ‘’old’’. Once they have passed their expiry date, their pregnancy prevention may drop significantly!

 

3) Storage conditions

We all know that condoms are tough and that they can last for quite a while. Nevertheless, it is essential you store them under the right conditions. Condoms have to be stored away from heat, moisture, and direct sunlight. Therefore, it never is a smart idea to keep them stored in your pocket or wallet.

 

 

If you keep them at your side for an extended period of time, your body heat along with the friction of movement will affect the effectiveness of your condoms. Therefore, it is advised that you simply keep them at your bedside table.

 

4) Timing and usage

Some of us may not know it, but pre-ejaculated liquids also may cause infections, STDs, or even pregnancy. So keep in mind; condoms do not only function as a barrier to catch seminal fluid during intercourse, but also for pre-ejaculated liquids. Because of this, it is essential to slide on your rubber before having any genital to genital contact with your partner. Whether it involves penetration or not.

 

5) Oral sex

If you know how to use a condom in a proper way, you should also know that condoms are not only used for pregnancy prevention. In fact, they also function as a barrier to prevent sexual transmittable diseases from spreading. This comes in handy when having regular sex, but also when engaging in oral sex or when using sex toys for women.

 

 

They can be worn while giving a blow job or, additionally, they can be turned into a dental dam. The latter can be done by cutting off the top and base, after which you can cut the condom light-wise in order to form a rectangular sheet.

 

6) Check before usage

Yes, we get it! You’re with the girl or guy of your dreams and you just want to slide on your condom and be close to your partner. In the rush, many of us tend to simply take the quality of our condom for granted. This is understandable yet still, it’s always smart to first check your rubber to see whether it may be damaged. Damages may occur when it’s still inside the package, when you open the package, or when slide it over your penis.

 

7) Apply your condom the right way

Sliding on your condom is an easy and straight forward job. Nevertheless, there are certain things you have to keep in mind.

Be careful! Make sure you don’t use your nails and be careful with rings and other sharp objects. When opening the package, it’s never a smart idea to use your teeth as this may accidentally damage the condom.

Apply the condom with the right side up. This is a common mistake and crucial mistake which has happened to the most of us. You wish to apply the condom and have put it on top of your penis just to find out that you have slipped it on up side down. Although it might be tempting to simply flip the condom over, it’s essential not to do so! Instead, simply accept your loss and grab yourself a new condom. To avoid making this mistake, you can softly blow inside a condom or try to unroll it a little bit with your fingers before sliding it over your cock.

Unroll your condom all the way. When you unroll the condom along the shaft of your penis, it is important to unroll it all the way. The end of the condom should be unrolled all the way so that it touches the base of your penis. If not, your condom may slide off during sex and get stuck inside your partner. This, once again, shows the importance of picking the right size and length condom.

Keep out the air. Having a bit of air inside the tip of your condom might seem harmless but nothing is further from the truth. A condom is much like a balloon. When it’s filled up too much, there always is the possibility for it to burst. The next time you slide on a condom, use your fingers to squeeze the tip. This will prevent air from being trapped inside your condom.

 

8) Using and picking lube

Although most condoms are pre-lubricated, many of us still tend to apply more lube for a smoother experience. Lube can be applied both at the outside and inside of the condom. When doing so, however, make sure not to apply a crazy amount. If you apply too much lube at the inside of your condom, the chances are high that it may slide off during intercourse.

 

 

Another essential thing to keep in mind when picking lubes is that you have to be 100% sure your lube is water-based. Oil and silicone based lubes affect the quality of your condoms by degrading the latex. As a result, they won’t be much of a help anymore in preventing pregnancy.

 

9) Never use a condom twice

Reusing and recycling is good, however, not when it comes to condoms! It is absolutely essential to keep in mind that you can never use the same condom twice.

 

 

When penetrating a new partner with the same condom you used before on another, you will bring over bacteria. But even when using it on one person at the same night, there are risks. Having more than one orgasm in a single condom increases the risk of overflowing and leakage. It furthermore strains the condom and affects the strength of the latex.

 

10) Pull out on time

After you or your partner had an orgasm, it is tempting embrace the sweet moment and share the closeness for a couple of minutes. As of such, many of us choose not to ‘’pull out’’ directly. Although we understand you wish to share this moment as close as possible with your partner, it is never advisable to rest inside of each other for too long. The reasons behind this lies at the fact that the male is likely to lose his erection after having an orgasm. When this happens, the condom won’t fit tightly around the penis anymore. As a result, it may slip off and start to leak. Naturally, this is something none of us want to happen!