SHORT ANSWER

Correct condom use can help prevent HIV and certain other STIs; suitable lubricant can reduce breakage and make sex more comfortable.

This guide gives general information to help you prepare for a conversation with a qualified health professional. Your timing, health history, medicines, and local guidance can change what is right for you.

KEY POINTS

What to know

  1. 01

    Use a new condom for each act of sex.

  2. 02

    Check the package and expiry date.

  3. 03

    Choose lubricant that is compatible with the condom material.

FAST FACTS

Fast facts

The most important, source-aligned points for this page—at a glance.

PrEP

Taken before exposure, it greatly lowers the chance of getting HIV.

72h

PEP is emergency prevention and must start within 72 hours.

U=U

Treatment with an undetectable viral load prevents sexual transmission.

Three-step illustrated guide to using an external condom, from opening the wrapper to removal and disposal after sex.

INFOGRAPHIC

Guide to using an external condom

Three simple steps for using an external condom correctly.

View CDC source
  • Open the wrapper carefully and place the condom on the tip of the erect penis.
  • Pinch the tip to remove air and unroll the condom completely.
  • After sex, hold the base while withdrawing, then remove the condom and put it in the trash.
  • Use a new condom for every act of sex.
Three-step illustrated guide to inserting, positioning, removing, and disposing of an internal condom.

INFOGRAPHIC

Guide to using an internal condom

A visual guide to using an internal condom correctly.

View CDC source
  • Squeeze the inner ring and insert the internal condom into the vagina or anus.
  • Push the inner ring as far inside as it can comfortably go while the outer ring remains outside.
  • After sex, twist the outer ring, remove the condom carefully, and put it in the trash.
  • Do not use an internal and external condom at the same time.

VISUAL SUMMARY

Condoms and lubricant: understand, check, act

Use the three points below as a quick visual map before reading the detailed guide.

  1. Understand

    Use a new condom for each act of sex.

  2. Check

    Check the package and expiry date.

  3. Act

    Choose lubricant that is compatible with the condom material.

This visual is a guide to the page—not a personal diagnosis or treatment recommendation.

BRING THIS TO A VISIT

Questions worth asking

A short list to help you get clear, personal answers from a provider.

  • Am I a candidate for PrEP or PEP?

  • What testing or follow-up does this option need?

  • What will it cost and how do I access it?

DETAILED GUIDE

A quick guide to Condoms and lubricant

3 short partsAbout 2 min read
01

What Condoms and lubricant means for you

Correct condom use can help prevent HIV and certain other STIs; suitable lubricant can reduce breakage and make sex more comfortable. That short answer is the place to begin; what matters next is how it fits your situation—your reason for reading, the timing of any event, and the support you can reach. Treat this guide as a map: it can help you prepare and ask better questions, while a qualified health professional applies the details to you.

02

The essentials for Condoms and lubricant

Prevention combines tools: PrEP before a possible exposure, PEP as an emergency within 72 hours, condoms with compatible lubricant, sterile injection equipment, and testing. Someone on treatment with an undetectable viral load does not pass HIV on through sex (U=U). Each option has its own follow-up, and a clinician can help combine them—one method does not have to replace the others.

03

Turn it into one next step

You do not need perfect medical words. Note any relevant dates, test names, or medicines, then choose one manageable action. For this page, a useful next step is explore sexual health services—a suggestion, not a rule. If it feels too big, make it smaller: save a phone number, check opening hours, or tell someone you trust. The plan can change as a result or new information arrives.

READY FOR THE NEXT STEP?

Keep your plan moving.

Explore sexual health servicesPrimary public-health source ↗

WHAT NEXT?

Turn the information into one clear action.

Use the next guide or service pathway to keep moving without having to start over.

Explore sexual health services

COMMON QUESTIONS

Before you move on

Can this page tell me exactly what I should do?

No. It can help you prepare, but a clinician should assess your individual situation—especially for urgent exposure, symptoms, testing timing, pregnancy, or medicine decisions.

How do I know the information is current?

Core medical claims are linked to public-health sources. Country-specific services, costs, legal rights, and clinical pathways must be locally verified before public launch.

SOURCES & REVIEW

Built for clarity and trust.

Content structure reviewed: 10 August 2026. Medical review and local service verification are required before public launch.

View the primary CDC HIV source