Where can I get condoms?

Where can I get condoms?

Family planning and sexual health clinics provide condoms free of charge. Condoms are available to buy from supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol/gas stations. Vending machines selling condoms are found in toilets at many locations. You can also order then online from different manufacturers and distributors.

There are no age limits for buying condoms. Buying a condom no matter how old you are shows that you are taking responsibility for your actions.

How can I check a condom is safe to use?

In the UK, condoms that have been properly tested and approved carry the British Standard Kite Mark or the EEC Standard Mark (CE). In the USA, condoms should be FDA approved, and elsewhere in the world, they should be ISO approved. Some countries have their own approval marks. To find out more see our page about condom effectiveness.

Condoms have an expiration (Exp) or manufacture (MFG) date on the box or individual packet - you should not use the condom if this date has passed. It's important to check this when you use a condom. You should also make sure the packet and the condom appear to be in good condition.

Condoms can deteriorate if not stored properly as they are affected by both heat and light. So it's best not to use a condom that has been stored in your back pocket, your wallet, or the glove compartment of your car. If a condom feels sticky or very dry you shouldn't use it as the packaging has probably been damaged.

So when and how do you use a condom?

You need to use a new condom every time you have sexual intercourse. Never use the same condom twice.

• 
• 
• 

Only put on a condom once there is a partial or full erection.

• Open the condom packet at one corner being careful not to tear the condom with your fingernails, your teeth, or through being too rough. Make sure the packet and condom appear to be in good condition, and check that the expiry date has not passed.
• Place the rolled condom over the tip of the hard penis, whilst pinching the tip of the condom enough to leave a half inch space for semen to collect. If the penis is not circumcised, pull back the foreskin before rolling on the condom.
• Roll the condom all the way down to the base of the penis, and smooth out any air bubbles. (Air bubbles can cause a condom to break.)

A video animation showing how to put on a condom.

If you want to use some extra lubrication, put it on the outside of the condom. Always use a water-based lubricant (such as KY Jelly or Liquid Silk) with latex condoms, as an oil-based lubricant will cause the latex to break.

The man wearing the condom doesn't always have to be the one putting it on - it can be quite a nice thing for his partner to do.

If you decide to have anal intercourse after vaginal intercourse, or vaginal intercourse after anal intercourse, you should consider changing the condom.

When you have ejaculated or finished having sex, withdraw the penis before it softens. Make sure you hold the condom against the base of the penis while you withdraw, so that the semen doesn't spill.

What do you do if the condom won't unroll?

The condom should unroll smoothly and easily from the rim on the outside. If you have to struggle or if it takes more than a few seconds, it probably means you are trying to put the condom on upside down. To take off the condom, don't try to roll it back up. Hold it near the rim and slide it off. Then start again with a new condom.