Condoms are highly effective at preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) when used correctly and consistently.

• Effectiveness for pregnancy prevention:
  • With perfect use (correct use every time), condoms are about 98% effective at preventing pregnancy. This means that 2 out of 100 women whose partners use condoms perfectly will become pregnant in a year.
  • With typical use (accounting for incorrect or inconsistent use), effectiveness drops to about 85-87%, meaning around 13 to 15 out of 100 women will become pregnant annually using condoms alone

• Effectiveness for STI prevention:
  Condoms significantly reduce the risk of most STIs, including HIV. Consistent and correct use of latex condoms is highly effective at preventing HIV transmission, reducing risk by 71% to 80%. They also reduce the risk of other STIs such as herpes simplex virus and HPV, though protection is not absolute

• Factors affecting effectiveness:
  • Incorrect use (e.g., putting a condom on after genital contact, condom breakage, slippage) lowers effectiveness.
  • Using lubricants compatible with condoms (water- or silicone-based) helps prevent breakage.
  • Choosing the correct condom size improves comfort and effectiveness

• Additional protection:
  Using condoms together with another form of contraception (like spermicide or hormonal birth control) can further reduce the risk of pregnancy

In summary, condoms are a safe, inexpensive, and widely available method that, when used properly, offer excellent protection against pregnancy and many STIs, including HIV. However, their real-world effectiveness depends largely on consistent and correct use