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Is A Condom Enough?

CollageCenter • Dec 07, 2015

If you’ve sat in a school health class that talked about sex, at some point you probably heard a message about how using a condom is practicing safe sex. Sure, condoms are better than nothing, but they aren’t 100% effective. They don’t allow for safe sex, just less risky sex.


Condoms and Pregnancy

One of the problems is that condoms aren’t that effective in preventing pregnancy. You will see studies reporting that “when used correctly and consistently” condoms are 98% effective in preventing pregnancy. (1) The problem is that most people don’t use them correctly and consistently. In fact, the CDC reports that 18 out of 100 (2) women who experienced an unintended pregnancy were using condoms as their means of birth control. That’s 18% or almost 1 in 5. Does that sound safe to you? It sounds a bit risky to us.


Condoms and STDs

And pregnancy isn’t the only concern when it comes to risks and sex. Statistics tell us that 1 in 2 sexually active young people will contract an STD. And while condoms can provide some protection against STDs, they don’t cover everything. Literally. Some STDs like herpes and HPV can be passed by contact with areas a condom doesn’t cover.


There are over 25 different types of STDs and some of them, once diagnosed, are easily treated and cured. Others can be treated but there is no cure and they can have lifelong and even life threatening affects. Are you sure you want to trust your short and long term health to a condom?


Complimentary Testing and Treatment

If you think you might be pregnant or have a STD, we’re here to help. Because we care about you and your health, we offer complimentary pregnancy tests and limited OB ultrasounds to confirm pregnancy.

We also offer STD testing and treatment for two of the most common STDs, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia, (Links to blog posts) at no charge to our clients. Call our offices in Kearney (308) 234-9880 or Grand Island 308) 675-2217 to schedule and appointment.

 

Sources:

1 – http://sexetc.org/info-center/post/do-condoms-work-whats-the-best-brand-and-which-type-of-condom-is-most-effective/


2 – http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/unintendedpregnancy/pdf/contraceptive_methods_508.pdf

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