How effective are internal condoms?

How effective are internal condoms at preventing pregnancy?

If you use them perfectly every single time you have sex, internal condom effectiveness is 95%. But people aren’t perfect, so in real life they’re about 79% effective — that means about 21 out of 100 people who use internal condoms as their main method of birth control will get pregnant each year.

Looking for a more effective form of birth control? Check out IUDs and implants, or explore different birth control methods to find which may be best for you.

How can I make internal condoms more effective?

The best way to make internal condoms work as well as possible is to use them correctly every single time you have vaginal or anal sex. That means wearing it the whole time, from start to finish. Make sure the condom is in place in your vagina or anus the right way before there’s any skin-to-skin genital contact. Read more about how to use internal condoms correctly.

You can make internal condoms better at preventing pregnancy by using them along with another birth control method (like the pill or an IUD). That way you’ve got some protection from STDs, and double protection from pregnancy.

One thing you should definitely NOT do is use a regular condom together with an internal condom. Each kind of condom is designed to be used on its own, and doubling up won’t give you extra protection. One condom used correctly is the best way to go — whichever kind of condom you use.

Keep in mind that drugs and alcohol can make people forget to use condoms (or less able to use them correctly).