# Condoms and oil-based lubricants

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condoms-and-oil-based-lubricants/222811>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 5, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condoms-and-oil-based-lubricants/222811 "2004-01-05T14:45:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condoms-and-oil-based-lubricants/222811/1 "2004-01-05T14:45:23Z")

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It’s been drilled into our heads for 20 years not to use oil-based lubricants with latex condoms because oil causes the latex to break down. My questions are how quickly does that breakdown occur and is there a particular concentration of oil that’s required to start that process?

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condoms-and-oil-based-lubricants/222811/2 "2004-01-05T15:06:27Z")

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Well, maybe you should note this:

New condoms (such as Avanti or Trojan Supra) are made out of plastic (polyurethane) and can stand up to an oil-based lubricant. They are stronger and thinner than latex, and are non-porous and non-permeable to viruses including HIV\*. They warm to the body’s temperature unlike latex and are hypoallergenic (important if you are allergic to latex).

[http://www.sexualecstasy.org/facts-myths.php](http://www.sexualecstasy.org/facts-myths.php)

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condoms-and-oil-based-lubricants/222811/3 "2004-01-05T15:10:01Z")

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I had a college roommate who discovered that it didn’t take very much oil-based lubricant at all and that the condom was finished before he was.

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**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condoms-and-oil-based-lubricants/222811/4 "2004-01-05T18:07:48Z")

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Sufficiantly that you shouldn’t roll on a condom with hands that are oily something totally innoccent like cooking or a massage. What I have always understood is one greasy thumbprint is enough to end up with a burst or un-noticibly holed condom.