Expert: Kristen Brannock, MPH - 6/27/2008

Question
I apologize for the length of this message! 'm gathering information
regarding the effectiveness of contraceptives, such as the condom. I recently
posted a question in another health forum regarding condom effectiveness,
and received a very surprising answer that I think would surprise the primary
physician who monitors this forum. My question concerned the 1-2% failure
rate condoms possess with perfect use. To clarify "perfect use" there would
be continual, proper application, followed by NO failure of the condom (lack
of tears, breaks, leaks, etc). I wanted to inquire as to how on earth women
were still getting pregnant using a water tight barrier contraceptive. If water
molecules are not passing through, viral particles (and also sperm cells for
that matter) should not be able to pass through and contribute in
fertilization. The response I got from the OBGYN was that condom use with
NO breaks resulted in one pregnancy per six women per year, that condom
failure was extremely common, viral particles (and thus sperm cells) could
still slip through microscopic leaks present in the condom, and then
proceeded to claim that he had "just slipped a plain latex condom over a
microscope slide under 200x magnification and could see latex imperfections
and small holes." If what he claims is true, it would appear that condoms are
virtually useless in preventing HIV transmission (and even pregnancies for
that matter). What's the truth? It seems he's disseminating false information
in the hopes of scaring people.

Answer
Condoms have been proven to protect against pregnancy and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. However, there are still people who will argue that condoms do not work, for whatever reason. It is often taught as part of "abstience-only" sex education. It has more to do with personal beliefs than science.