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Condom Malfunctions (part 1)Humans aren’t perfect and neither are condoms so I thought it would be important to share a little information on what to do when you have a condom malfunction. Condoms Gets Stuck Inside This has happened to me. It worked out fine but it was kind of weird. If it happens to you or your partner first check to see if you can see the condom in her (your) vagina or rectum, you can probably grasp a part of it and gently pull it out. Make sure to not let go as the latex can stretch quite a bit. If you cannot see it then you will have to a bit of a search and rescue to get it out. As long as the person with condom stuck inside relaxes it should be fine. If it is stuck in the vagina she might be able to get it out on her own – if she is comfortable with feeling inside her vagina. Stick one or two fingers inside and go towards the cervix. Feel around it. It very likely is tucked away behind it. Do not worry – the condom is no further than that. The cervix has a very tiny opening. This is what worked for me and the condom came out quite easily. However, if she is not comfortable doing it herself, have your partner lie down and spread her legs like she would for gynaecological exam. Lubricate your fingers a little bit and gently and calmly put a one or two fingers inside her vagina. Feel around for her cervix and do as I said earlier. If the condom gets stuck inside the rectum then we have a bit of a different situation. The rectum does not have an end to it and nor does it have cervix. You can feel around for it but it might be a little too high up or the person with the condoms tuck inside might be tensing too much to allow for a search. The good news is that most people do end up pooping such things out. That might be a little gross and it might happen at an inopportune time, but that is just how these things go. When a condom mishap happens between a man and woman, sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy are naturally a concern for most people. See below for what to do after you have gotten he condom out. back to top - back to advice archive Condom Malfunctions (part 2)Condom Breaks I have never had a condom break on me, but it has been known to happen – especially if you used a poor quality condom, one that was improperly stored, put on incorrectly, used with a non-waterbased lubricant (an oil base done like baby oil), or used without enough waterbased lubrication. When you have a condom break, your gut reaction may be to freak out, but keeping a level head is important. There are two troubling things to consider – sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) and an unplanned pregnancy if she is not using another birth control method (diaphragm, IUD, hormonal methods like the Pill, Depo Provera, Vaginal Ring, etc…). Now the risk of STI transmission and pregnancy depend on a variety of things and neither of them are guaranteed to occur, but you do need to take some action to protect yourself and your partner. First, both of you should go pee after the incident. This can help flush fluids, bacteria and viruses away from your urethra and genitals. Not a perfect STI prevention tool, but it does help a bit. Make sure you do not douche or take an enema. That can push viruses and the like (including semen) upwards, further inside. Do not use a spermicide. Recent research has shown that nonoxynol-9 causes inflammation and small abrasions and can put you at greater risk for STI transmission. Next you will need to have a little sit down chat with your partner. Depending on your past history with this person you may or may not know a lot about their STI status, whether they have recently been tested or been exposed to STI through unsafe sex practices or drug use. Now you need to find out. You need to be honest with them and they need to be honest with you. This information can help your doctor figure out what is the best way to proceed for you. Yep, I said doctor because you will need to get tested for STI’s. You can read about recommended tests here. It is smart thing to do for your own health and peace of mind as well as that of your partner(s). If you are a woman and at risk for pregnancy (i.e fertile and not using a back up method of contraception), then you may want to consider emergency contraception pills (ECPs). ECPs reduce the risk of pregnancy if started within 120 hours of unprotected vaginal intercourse, but are most effective if started within 72 hours. In certain provinces of Canada you can get ECPs directly from the pharmacist without a doctor’s prescription (in Quebec, British Columbia and Saskatchewan). In most other areas (including most of the United States) though you can get ECP from your family doctor, a hospital emergency room or walk-in clinic. If you are not sure where to go, contact Planned Parenthood at 1-800-230-PLAN for a Planned Parenthood center nearest you. Just so you know, emergency contraception pills are similar to regular birth control pills, but the type and dosage are different. EC pills will not end an existing pregnancy — they can only prevent one from happening. This is why you have to take them so soon after an at-risk encounter. Emergency contraception pills make some women feel nauseous. It can help if you sleep through the worst of the nausea. You can expect to have some irregular bleeding and possibly an early or late period that may be heavier or lighter than usual. There are also progestin-only EC pills available which contain no estrogen, known as Plan B®. Nausea and vomiting are far less common using progestin-only EC pills than using the combined estrogen and progestin pills. If you have difficulty with regular estrogen based birth control pills than progestin based ones may be better suited for you. |
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