Is it safe to just use a condom?
By Kendall @ Planned Parenthood | Sept. 27, 2011, 2:51 p.m.
Category: Ask the Experts, Birth Control
I’m thinking about having sex for the first time. Is it safe to only use a condom and not any other form of birth control?
If you’re having vaginal intercourse, condoms are the best way to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Using another form of birth control in addition to condoms does increase your protection against pregnancy. Combining condoms with hormonal birth control — such as the pill, ring, or shot — is a very effective way to prevent against both pregnancy and STDs. Some kinds of birth control cannot be used together. The condom cannot be used together with a internal condom because they may stick together and get pulled off or out of place, or they may cause the wrong kind of friction that can break the condom.
Tags: condoms