Mishaps occurring during condom use, and the subsequent use of post-coital contraception

Condoms may break or slip off during sexual intercourse. The past experience of 2814 women attending family planning clinics in urban centers of the United Kingdom for routine advice on contraception was explored to learn about the extent and nature of condom mishaps and the use of emergency contraception. 47.7% of the women were in their 20s; 17.7% were teens. 84.8% reported ever using a condom. 21.7% used condoms as their current main method of contraception, 57.9% chose the contraceptive pill, and 2.4% were using no contraception. Among condom users, 66.3% had a condom burst or split and 38.8% had a condom slip off the penis. In general, participants commonly used the male condom during sexual activity, 40.6% of ever users experienced at least 1 mishap during use, mishaps are more likely to occur at the beginning of a sexual relationships, most common mishaps are of condoms bursting or slipping off the penis, and the occurrence of a mishap is likely to deter 1 in 3 women from using a condom in the future. Further, it seems that most family planning clinic attenders do not use oil-based lubricants in conjunction with a condom, younger women are more likely than older women to seek emergency contraception after a condom mishap, and about 60% do not seek emergency contraception after a condom mishap. More women should be encouraged to seek such emergency contraception when needed.