Double the Condom, Double the Protection
Have you ever heard of the term double-bagging? It refers to using two condoms during sex to get double protection against pregnancy and diseases. People frequently inquire if or not putting on two external condoms for sex offers better protection against diseases and pregnancy than using one condom. Also, they want to know if wearing an external and internal condom together while having sex reduces the risk. Luckily, the rest of the post delves into this issue to give you answers to these concerns about condom use.
Wearing Two Condoms May Look Like a Wise Move
Double bagging may sound like a great idea when considering putting on two external condoms at the same time. However, such a practice is not recommended in any setting or for whatever reasons due to the risks it carries. There is no research that reports using two external condoms are better than when using a single external condom if you wear the external condom correctly. So, it means wearing just one external condom to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy.
Correct Condom Usage
In the quest to establish how effective condoms are, Planned Parenthood found out that external condoms offer 85% to 98% in preventing pregnancy and STIs. Also, note that you should never use an internal condom together with an external condom. The researchers from Planned Parenthood reveal that the effectiveness of internal condoms is 79% to 95% when worn alone. Both internal and external condoms are birth control options that protect you from sexually transmitted diseases.
Why Double Condom is Not a Good Idea
Reproductive health physicians such as obstetricians, gynecologists, and sexologists warn that wearing two external condoms at the same time increases the rubbing between them. This friction makes them more likely to tear, leak or slip altogether. It is crucial to note that human error is the common cause of condom failure during sex rather than the flaws in condoms. Incorrect condom usage, like when using more than one at once, reusing your condom, and not wearing the condom correctly, drops its effectiveness significantly.
Scientific Research Backing
Rugpao and a team of researchers from Chiang Mai in Thailand, in their study on contraception concluded that the likelihood of tears when wearing two condoms at once was 3.4%. They added that most tears occur around the tip of the external condoms. Another study followed where scholars involved 83 men in showing how to double bagging is ineffective. The findings of the study indicated that 19.3% (1 in 5) men reported condom tears after wearing two condoms during sex.
In their journal on “Revisiting the condom riddle”, published in the Journal of Human Sexuality, Munoz K and colleagues state that using two external condoms at once increases friction, which raises the possibility of condom tearing. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services also warns that wearing a female and male condom simultaneously during sex is not recommended.
It is thus advisable to wear a condom for protection during sexual intercourse, but double bagging is not likely to double your protection. Try to establish why you are yearning to use two condoms while having sex and discuss with your partner where possible. Explore other birth control methods to prevent pregnancy if you want to avoid unplanned conception. Also, as explained above, you can capitalize on the appropriate condom usage when looking for excellent protection against STIs and pregnancy.