Different connotations of condom failure:
(1) physical defect in condom
(2) contraceptive failure
(3) exposure to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases
Different types of material failure:
(1) breakage, puncture, tear
(2) slippage
(3) chemical breakdown
Defective condom:
(1) Problem in manufacture (inferior material, defective run)
(2) Improper storage
(3) Breakage in the wrapper with drying out.
(4) Use after the expiration date.
User error:
(1) Inconsistent use
(2) Unfamiliarity with use
(3) Failure to put on early in the sexual encounter.
(4) Trying to use for more than one intercourse.
Tearing of condom material:
(1) When opening the package.
(2) By long or sharp fingernails
(3) By finger rings
(4) By teeth
(5) By genital piercings
Incorrect placement:
(1) Getting air trapped at the tip.
(2) Putting on backwards
(3) Failure to unroll to the base of the penis
(4) Failure to leave a space for semen to collect.
Problems during or after intercourse:
(1) Large penile diameter is associated with breakage (Smith, 1998).
(2) Insufficient lubrication can result in shear forces on the material.
(3) Use of oil-based lubricants may weaken the material.
(4) Slippage during withdrawal, especially as the penis deflates.
(5) Improper removal from the penis.
