Choosing the Right Kind of Condom to Prevent STDs

Will a Condom Guarantee I Won't Get a STD?

No. There's no absolute guarantee that you won't get a sexually transmitted disease (STD) even when you use a condom. But most experts agree that the risk of getting AIDS and other STDs can be greatly reduced if a condom is used properly. In other words, sex with condoms isn't totally "safe sex," but it is "less risky" sex.

How Does a Condom Protect Against STDs?

A condom acts as a barrier or wall to keep blood, or semen, or vaginal fluids from passing from one person to the other intercourse.

These fluids can harbor germs such as HIV (the AIDS virus). If no condom is used, the germs can pass from the infected partner to the uninfected partner.

How Do I Choose the Right Kind of Condoms to Prevent Disease?

Always read the label. Look for two things:

• The condoms should be made of latex (rubber). Tests have shown that latex condoms can prevent the passage of the AIDS, hepatitis, and herpes viruses. But natural (lambskin) condoms do not do this.

  In the future, manufacturers may offer condoms of other materials and designs for disease prevention. As with all new products that make medical claims, such as "prevention of sexually transmitted diseases," these new condoms would have to be reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they are allowed to be sold.

• The package should say that the condoms are to prevent disease. If the package doesn't say anything about preventing disease, the condoms may not provide the protection you want, even though they may be the most expensive ones you can buy.

  Novelty condoms will not say anything about either disease prevention or pregnancy prevention on the package. They are intended only for sexual stimulation, not protection.

  Condoms which do not cover the entire penis are not labeled for disease prevention and should not be used for this purpose. For proper protection, a condom must unroll to cover the entire penis. This is another good reason to read the label carefully.

How Can I Get the Most Protection from Condoms?

• Choose the right kind of condoms to prevent disease.
• Store condoms properly.
• Remember to use a new condom every time you have sex.
• Use the condom the right way, from start to finish.

STDs, Including AIDS, Can Be Prevented

Learn the facts so that you can protect yourself and others from getting infected. Condoms are not 100 percent safe, but if used properly, will reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. If you have unprotected sex now, you can contract sexually transmitted diseases. Later, if you decide to have children, you might pass the disease on to them.

Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.