Condoms

Condoms offer 99% protection against STIs, including HIV, but only if used consistently (meaning each time you have sex) and correctly.

Do not be caught unawares: make sure you always have condoms with you. Even when you are not planning to have sex. A lot of sex happens spontaneously.

• Practice putting on a condom correctly. Remember, practice makes perfect. If you use a condom wrongly it will not offer the protection it should.
• Only use each condom once. Do not try to wash and re-use a condom as it will not be safe.
• Also use a different condom for each sexual activity: for instance, one for oral sex, another for vaginal sex and another for anal sex.
• Do not use a condom after the expiry date.
• Use reliable condoms. These have a CE mark and an expiry date on the pack.
• Water based and silicon lubricants are the best to use.
  You can buy these lubricants in many places including drugstores, pharmacies and sexshops.
• Use condoms with plenty of (extra) lubricant for anal sex.
• Do not use lubricants containing grease or oil. This could damage the condom. 
• Do not flush a used condom down a toilet or throw it in a bidet. It could block it. Throw the condom away in a rubbish bin.

Do you want to prevent pregnancy too? Then it is best to combine the use of both a condom and contraceptive, such as the pill. This is known as ‘going Double Dutch'.

English-speaking people at the AIDS STI Helpline (0900-2042040) can also give you more information about the different ways to prevent both STI infections and unplanned pregnancy.

Just in case...

In case something goes wrong while using a condom...

Something might go wrong with a condom while you are having sex - it may slip off or tear. Or some pre-seminal fluid may enter the vagina during foreplay.

If in addition to using a condom you are also taking the pill or other birth control, then at least you know you are protected against unplanned pregnancy.

If your partner is infected with HIV or another STI, or if you are not sure, then you need to go to your GP ('huisarts' in Dutch) and explain what happened with the condom. He or she will advice you accordingly.