Is it alright if we talk about condoms for a moment? This Friday we share Fertility Friday’s talk on condoms:
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We know that everyone doesn’t love condoms. You may not like how they feel and prefer birth control options that don’t involve a physical barrier between you and your partner, but regardless, we still need to talk about it!
Condoms can be a fantastic method of birth control because they are up to 98% effective in preventing pregnancy when used correctly.
And the good news, is that they aren’t difficult to use perfectly as I often say.
Perfect use is another way of saying that you are using your chosen birth control method correctly each time.
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A brief overview of the benefits of using condoms:
- Condoms are one of the few birth control options that also protect against STIs (sexually transmitted infections)
- Condoms invite men into the conversation about birth control and allow them to share the responsibility (instead of it being assumed that “you’ll just take care of it”)
- Condoms are non-hormonal and allow you to continue cycling naturally and enjoying the health benefits of your main ovarian hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone), while preserving your future fertility
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But in case you didn’t know this …. you can’t use oil-based lubricants with condoms!
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Oil destroys both latex and non-latex condoms! That includes olive oil, coconut oil, vaseline, and any other oil-based lubricant you can think of.
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When you use oil-based lubricants with latex condoms the oil rapidly disintegrates the condom, and the condom will eventually break.
If you’ve been getting away with it for awhile, that’s great, but you’re skating on thin ice!
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If you want to see for yourself, go to YouTube and search “oil and latex condoms”. You’ll find plenty of demonstrations. Or you can try it yourself. Place a latex condom over your hand and rub it with your oil of choice until it falls apart (it will, trust me … just give it a few minutes).
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Last week Fertility Friday shared an important (and much requested) podcast episode all about using non-hormonal methods correctly. Lisa, the host, went through condoms in more detail, but also the diaphragm, cervical cap, withdrawal, and fertility awareness!
Though some non-hormonal methods aren’t always as effective as hormonal methods, they can be combined and used together to increase overall effectiveness.