# How do so many people get pregnant from condoms? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153 "2009-07-15T21:20:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/1 "2009-07-15T21:20:38Z")
All right, granted, in the old days there wasn’t too much you could do if one broke. But today it’s pretty obvious if one breaks–you’d think that the morning after pill could be obtained pretty easily, making the failure rate pretty low, no? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/2 "2009-07-15T21:25:23Z")
Not really. The morning after pill isn’t as widely available as one might think, particularly in rural areas. If the only pharmacy is on the other side of the county, and the girl doesn’t have access to a car, her options are limited. For that matter, even if she lives in the town with the only pharmacy in the county, that pharmacy may or may not sell that pill. ---
**Author:** ![HoboStew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/3 "2009-07-15T21:26:05Z")
My WAG - user error and outright lies (we TOTALLY used a condom, I swear!). ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/4 "2009-07-15T21:30:08Z")
User error is surely a big part of it - putting a condom on after you’ve already started making with the sexins, for example, or improper dismount. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/5 "2009-07-15T21:41:34Z")
Deleted ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/6 "2009-07-15T21:42:32Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > - You know the kind of thing I mean, right? I don’t want to elaborate unless I have to ☹ Er? not using them? Why the coyness? ---
**Author:** ![Casserole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@Casserole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casserole)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/7 "2009-07-15T21:54:20Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > User error is surely a big part of it - putting a condom on after you’ve already started making with the sexins, for example, or improper dismount. Improper dismount? I can’t believe there’d be much technique to it, that I’m missing, but could you clue me in? ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/8 "2009-07-15T21:57:19Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > How do so many people get pregnant from condoms? Typically there are penises in them. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/9 "2009-07-15T21:57:38Z")
I’m pretty sure the condoms themselves aren’t getting people pregnant. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/10 "2009-07-15T21:59:45Z")
> [@Casserole](#): > > Improper dismount? I can’t believe there’d be much technique to it, that I’m missing, but could you clue me in? If you pull out too late, the penis deflates and the condom falls off inside the vagina. That happened to me once though luckily there was no spillage (moot point, since I was on the pill). Or if you get out too soon without holding on to the base of the condom, stuff could spill. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/11 "2009-07-15T22:16:09Z")
How about general laziness? “Hey babe…the condom broke” “Shit, really? Well, I guess we have to go to the pharma…hey, look what’s on TV.” If people are too lazy to pause and put a condom on, why should I think they’d get dressed, drive to the pharmacy, and spend money? Yeah, they _could_ go get the pill. They just don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/12 "2009-07-15T22:21:13Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > How about general laziness? > > “Hey babe…the condom broke” > “Shit, really? Well, I guess we have to go to the pharma…hey, look what’s on TV.” > > If people are too lazy to pause and put a condom on, why should I think they’d get dressed, drive to the pharmacy, and spend money? Yeah, they _could_ go get the pill. They just don’t. But the person in this scenario isn’t too lazy to pause and put a condom on. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/13 "2009-07-15T23:37:19Z")
What is the failure rate for condoms, btw? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/14 "2009-07-15T23:39:24Z")
It seems to range from about 10 to 18% per wiki. I’ve seen 17% quoted a lot but when googling I also saw 14%. ETA: That’s the practical use. The perfect use is 3%. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/15 "2009-07-15T23:43:16Z")
Wow, 3% for perfect use? That’s surprising. I wonder how that statistic was determined? If it wasn’t closely monitored, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if some people were simply lying about how and how often they use condoms. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/16 "2009-07-15T23:47:43Z")
[http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/about/organization/dmid/PDF/condomReport.pdf](http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/about/organization/dmid/PDF/condomReport.pdf) > [@](#): > > Information on consistent and correct condom use for the prevention of pregnancy has also provided valuable insights on the importance of consistent use. Approximately 3% of couples who reported using condoms consistently and correctly (considered “perfect use”) are estimated to experience an unintended pregnancy during the first year of use (123), based on results of one rigorous controlled trial as well as modeling based on rates of condom breakage and slippage. In a recent well-controlled randomized clinical trial of monogamous couples using latex male condoms for contraception over six months, the pregnancy rate during “typical use” was reported at 6.3%, with a 1.1% pregnancy rate during “consistent use” (45). Most of these couples had experience using condoms. However, based on estimates from National Surveys of Family Growth (123), 14% of couples are estimated to experience an unintended pregnancy during the first year of “typical” use, a failure rate that includes both inconsistent (non-use) and incorrect use, as well as breakage and slippage. Failure rates in the second year of typical use are about 50% lower (167). ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/17 "2009-07-15T23:52:52Z")
Ah, the 3% includes condom breaks and such. Well, I guess those people either don’t have enough experience to know that something went wrong or they just decide to chance it. Or, like Oakminster said, they don’t have access to anything else. I wonder if the people in the rigorous controlled trial were allowed to use anything else if they experienced failure. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/18 "2009-07-15T23:59:06Z")
> [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > I wonder if the people in the rigorous controlled trial were allowed to use anything else if they experienced failure. I would think not, since that would reduce the pregnancy rate, and invalidate the study. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/19 "2009-07-16T00:03:34Z")
Do you think they watched the couples the entire time they had sex, every time? Or did they just rely on their reports that they did everything correctly? The former I think would be a bit awkward. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153/20 "2009-07-16T00:43:49Z")
I think condom breakage should be counted as user error. If a couples condoms are breaking or slipping, it is because they don’t fit correctly or they need to learn about lubrication. I’d like to know the failure rate for proper use when proper use means use a condom every time and excludes breakage/slippage. Assuming proper use as defined above, what other kind of failure could there be other than defects in the condom? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-so-many-people-get-pregnant-from-condoms/503153.md?page=2)