Yes, apparently that is a thing and, no, the CDC doesn’t want you to do it any more
When it comes to the act of having sex, there seems to be a small group of people who figure that if they are reusing the appliance, they may as well reuse that appliance’s protective cover as well. In other words, people are washing and reusing their condoms between sex acts.
While many people cannot comprehend reusing a condom, there appears to enough people doing this that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning against it.
As a result of this concern, the CDC reminded people via their official Twitter account not to wash and reuse their condoms.
“We say it because people do it: Don’t wash or reuse #condoms! Use a fresh one for each #sex act,” the July 23 tweet said.
The tweet then linked to the CDC’s website, which explained why condoms are important in order to help prevent pregnancy as well as stop the spread of disease. They also explained correct condom use for those who were unsure. The page explains correct procedures for using both male and female condoms and reminds users that a washed and reused condom is much more likely to break during its second usage, thanks to a break down in durability.
Dr. Elizabeth Torrone, an epidemiologist at the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, also spoke to Buzzfeed about the dangers of washing and reusing condoms after sex.
“Soap and water won’t kill all of the tiny microorganisms on or inside the condom, and it can only make the latex more prone to tear,” she said.
In response to the tweet, Health.com also reported on the correct way to use condoms, reminding users to check the expiry date and to make sure each packet is opened correctly in order to prevent damage to the condom before use.
Australian sex expert and regular writer for Adult Matchmaker, Eva Sless, also offered advice for those who decide to go one step further and not wash their condom between uses. Her comments are in response to people who actually ejaculate into a condom and then continue on without changing it.
“Once you have ejaculated, no matter how hard you still are, or how much you’d like to keep going, you need to remove it and put on a new one,” Sless explains.
She then goes on to explain the reason why continuing to use a condom after ejaculation is not a good idea.
“Seriously! Having sex with an overfilled condom is a dangerous exercise in stopping the condom from doing its job. Once it is full it will start to leak, and the excess liquid inside will cause the condom to slip off.”
As per usual, though, it was the social media response to the CDC warning that was the true winner here.
So, please make sure that next time you are in the heat of the moment and are considering not changing your condom — or washing it and reusing it — remember that the CDC advises against the practice.
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