A condom can help protect you from most but not all STIs.

It is a good idea to:

• Insist on using condoms until you and your partner are sure of each other’s sexual health status and are in a mutually monogamous (one partner only) relationship. The only way to be sure of each other’s sexual health status is to have an STI check-up
• Insist on using a condom if you have sex with a new partner.
• Use a condom with every partner (if you have multiple sex partners).
• Limit the number of partners you have.

What a condom can do

• Using a condom can protect you against most but not all STIs. In fact, the only way to be 100% sure of protecting yourself from STIs is to avoid sex completely.
• Using a condom can prevent pregnancy. With careful use of a male latex condom, 2 women in every 100 will get pregnant. With less careful use, 2 to 25 women in every 100 get pregnant.

What a condom can’t do

A condom can’t help protect you unless you use one. It’s up to you to negotiate using a condom with your sex partner(s)