As Long as a Condom is Put on Correctly, Does Brand Really Matter?
The simple answer is no, as long as the condom meets the FDA standards than one brand is just as safe as another.
The FDA is the Food and Drug Administration and it’s the responsibility of this government agency to make sure that food, cosmetics, drugs (for humans and animals) and medical devices are safe and effective. So where do condoms fit in? They’re considered Class II medical devices by the FDA. Contact lenses, blood pressure cuffs and pregnancy test kits are also considered Class II medical devices.
In order to determine if a condom is effective, there are several criteria that need to be met, and tests they must pass. Condoms need to be a minimum of a certain length and thickness. Then at least 1,000 condoms are filled with water. The condoms are left filled with water for 2 minutes, and then they’re checked for leaks. If less than 4 in 1,000 leaked, than those condoms receive FDA approval.
Other tests include the air burst test where the condoms are filled with air to see if they burst. There’s also a test where they try to see if the condom can conduct electricity (a latex condom shouldn’t be able to).
Once a US made condom receives approval, they’re good to go.
Condoms being shipped in from overseas need to go through testing before they can be sold in the US, even if they met the safety requirements in the country where they were manufactured.
There are gag gifts and novelty condoms out there that you absolutely shouldn’t use for pregnancy prevention. These aren’t FDA approved and often will say something on them like “for novelty purposes only.” Condoms that are safe for use during sex will say so on the packaging.
A condom being sold for pregnancy prevention in the US, whether manufactured in the states or shipped in from elsewhere, must meet the safety requirements. So to answer the question, no, brand shouldn’t matter.
But, and this is a really big but, while bad batches can happen and condoms aren’t perfect, the number one reason why condoms fail to prevent pregnancy is because they’re not used correctly.
In a perfect world, male condoms are 98% effective at preventing pregnancy, but in the real world that number drops down to 87%. That’s 13 out of 100 women a year getting pregnant because condoms weren’t being used consistently and correctly.
So feel free to check the condom brand, but also make sure to check your condom use knowledge!
Until next time, be safe and have fun!
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