If the condom breaks, the shock is great at first. The motto now is not to panic. We will explain to you what immediate measures you can take to minimize the risk of unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases!

Many have experienced it themselves and almost everyone has heard it at least from their friends and acquaintances: the condom broke! But why do condoms tear at all and what can you do to prevent it from happening?

#1 Fear of pregnancy

The first thought that goes through most women's heads when the condom breaks is often that of an unwanted pregnancy. If you are not using the pill or other means of contraception, there is a real risk that you may become pregnant unintentionally. Even if the condom breaks right at the beginning of intercourse, pregnancy cannot be ruled out, since even then small amounts of semen can escape from the penis. This is colloquially called the pleasure drop.

You can now do this:

Morning-after pill: If the condom broke during sex and you want to avoid the risk of pregnancy, you should go to the nearest pharmacy as soon as possible and get the morning-after pill. This is a preparation that inhibits or delays ovulation and thus prevents possible fertilization of the egg cell by the sperm. The morning-after pill is effective up to a maximum of 72 hours after unprotected sex. However, the morning-after pill is most effective if taken within 12 hours of the condom breaking. #2 Fear of HIV and other diseases

STDs pose the greatest risk when the condom breaks. If you are not sure that your partner is healthy, precautions must also be taken here.

You can now do this:

Flush Out Pathogens: If you notice that the condom has broken, try rinsing the outside of your vagina with water and, if possible, urinating as a first precaution. This increases the chance that possible pathogens are flushed out. However, you should not do an internal vaginal rinse, as there is a possibility of small internal injuries to the mucous membrane, through which possible pathogens can then even more easily penetrate into the body. The same applies, by the way, if the condom broke during oral sex! Rinse your mouth thoroughly with water, but don't brush your teeth directly as you may rub possible pathogens into your gums. Go to the doctor: You should then contact a doctor or a counseling center as soon as possible. This is because most sexually transmitted diseases can be treated effectively and cured completely if they are diagnosed in good time. So it is better not to wait and see whether you notice physical symptoms such as itching or burning, but go straight to the doctor if the condom broke and you are not sure whether you could have contracted a sexually transmitted disease. He can then carry out appropriate tests.

HIV prophylaxis: Far worse than the fear of treatable sexually transmitted diseases is the fear of being infected with HIV if the condom breaks. However, there is the possibility of so-called HIV post-exposure prophylaxis, or HIV-PEP for short. This makes sense if you know for sure that your sexual partner is HIV-positive with a detectable or unknown high viral load. The HIV-PEP is a preventive emergency therapy. You take an antiviral drug combination over a period of about four weeks, which is intended to prevent the multiplication of the HI virus, which could have entered your body when the condom broke. It is best to start HIV PEP within 24 hours after the condom breaks. This treatment can reduce the risk of becoming infected with HIV – but it cannot completely rule out infection.

Torn condom – how can this even happen?

Isn't it always said that condoms are so safe? So how can it happen that you keep hearing about people whose condoms broke? A condom can break for a number of reasons:

Wrong condom size: Sometimes men don't know their own condom size exactly and buy condoms that are too small. This greatly increases the risk of a torn condom. Damage from fingernails: Your fingernails can also damage the condom unnoticed if you don't take it very carefully out of the packaging. If in doubt, let him put the condom on if you have particularly long fingernails. Expired use-by date: Condoms that have already passed their use-by date can also tear more easily and should therefore no longer be used. Wrong transport: You like to keep a condom in your wallet so that you always have it with you just in case. But there it can be quickly crushed and damaged. Slipping: While you are having sex, the man should make sure that the condom does not roll up or slip. Poor quality: You should keep your hands off particularly cheap condoms from questionable origins. Always pay attention to good and tested quality.

If you break a condom, it's important not to panic and take the necessary immediate action. In many cases, the risk of pregnancy or infection can be minimized in this way.