• Knowledgebase: Questions about Sex, Puberty, and Periods

    Questions about Sex, Puberty, and Periods, for adolescents and their parents.

    8. Why are there different kinds of condoms? - Top

    Condoms are made from three different materials - latex, lambskin, and now polyurethane. Latex condoms are by far the most widely available and least expensive. The market offers several brands, each coming in a variety of sizes, colors, textures, shapes, and even flavors. Many are already coated with the spermicide Nonoxynol-9, but this slight amount has been found to be inadequate in protecting against pregnancy, so it's recommended that additional spermicide be used. However, new research no longer promotes the use of N-9 as it may facilitate HIV transmission [read Condoms with Nonoxynol-9 (N-9): Do they increase HIV risk? in Alice's Sexual Health archive].

    Polyurethane condoms are the newest on the market. Compared to latex condoms, polyurethane ones are made from a type of plastic that:

    is thinner
    is stronger
    offers a less constricting fit
    is more resistant to deterioration
    transmits heat better, which helps increase pleasure
    may enhance sensitivity
    Unlike other condoms, polyurethane ones are available in male and female versions. Worn by women, the female condom is a sheath that's inserted into a vagina up to eight hours before intercourse. Adding extra water-based lube helps increase comfort and decrease noise. They're not to be used together with male condoms. Read What is a female condom? in Alice's Sexual Health archive for more information about this method. Polyurethane condoms have not been well studied for preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but they're believed to offer as much, or even more, protection than latex condoms. However, they're pricier than latex condoms.

    Lambskin condoms, in contrast, are the oldest on the market. They're made from the intestinal membrane of a lamb. Small pores make lambskin condoms ineffective in protecting against viruses that cause STIs. But they do protect against pregnancy, since the pores are too small for sperm to pass through. Lambskin supposedly has a more "natural" feel than latex and polyurethane.

    All three male condom types offer the same statistical effectiveness against pregnancy, which is your primary concern. Contraceptive Technology estimates that only 3 percent of couples who consistently and correctly use male condoms will experience failure in the first year of usage. Female condoms have a probability of pregnancy of 5 percent, which still makes them quite an effective method of birth control.

    All of these options offer similar protection against pregnancy.
    - Updated: March 10, 2001

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    • James L Horwitz, MD

    David C. Thomas, MD

    Barbara Lindberg, PNP