AIBU to ask if pregnancy using condoms...

[Reallyquestionmark]

Really can happen? Just that really. I hear stories of people getting pregnant using condoms but I thought the statistics were they were roughly 98% effective. Tell me your stories of using condoms correctly and still getting pregnant. Does this actually happen?

Of course it happens, no form of contraception is 100% certain.
Using it correctly obviously greatly minimises the risk, but occasionally a few slip by!

You can be using it 100% correctly and it might still break or tear.

Of course it can happen. They can split, which is how I got pregnant. Luckily it wasn't a disaster for me at that time, but I wouldn't rely on them alone anymore.

Do you not get percentages? You yourself said 98%, so that means 2 of every 100 result in pregnancy...

98% effective means 2 pregnancies per 100 condom usages. 20 per 1000. 200 per 10000. Lots of people use condoms. Some will be unlucky.

The 98% is for if they are used properly.
For how people actually use them (i.e. some action before putting it on etc) they are closer to 80% effective.
Similar for the pill, if you factor in the human error in remembering it at a similar time each day.
(Doctor)

My youngest is in the 2%

Of course it can - 98% means in every 100 women 2 will get pregnant and that’s when condoms are used correctly.

I hear stories of people getting pregnant using condoms but I thought the statistics were they were roughly 98% effective

Meaning 2 out of every 100 people that use condoms have a contraceptive fail.

Sorry, I didn't mean this to come across rudely and I suppose sense tells me that nothing is 100% I just wondered how common it really was.

Ds1 was the result of condom failure, no tears or break as far as we could tell and still one got through.
It happens more often than you'd think.

My eldest was conceived when we were using condoms. I was very young and therefore I assume very fertile. We always checked condoms afterwards and I’d previous had the MAP if one had split or similar. I honestly don’t know how ds was conceived that weekend. Lots of sex was definitely had and I guess it was just that I was in the 2%...

My dd is only here because of a condom failure.
Trust me we were bloody shocked.

The clue is in the numbers! 98% effective means that 2 out of every hundred will get pregnant each year when using.

(And that is assuming perfect use.)

It's only 98% when they're applied properly, overall the stat is much lower just because it's quite common for them not be on correctly (it's something like 70%) DC2 is a result of a snapped condom, no doubt put on incorrectly as DH and I don't really use them, I'd had my coil removed and we were protecting ourselves to avoid Christmas (yes, DC2 is a Christmas baby 🙄)

For the record I've also fallen pregnant with a perfectly in place coil, there is no 100% form of contraception! We fell pregnant straight off the pill too, DH and I are just clearly very fertile people!!

I suppose sense tells me that nothing is 100% I just wondered how common it really was
But you said how common in your first post. 98% effective, so 2 pregnancies for every 100 condom uses. And that’s if everyone is really careful to use them properly.

Friends was so informative

Thanks for the helpful comments. Maybe I should have phrased my post a little bit better. Thanks to those with stories.

I always felt like that storyline in Friends was a great public service announcement. So many people just assume contraception is 100% effective.

This thread makes me feel nervous. I'm aware that they are 98% effective but I just like to assume that it won't happen to me. Pill etc doesn't agree with me.

@littlemisscynical have you looked at non hormonal coil? Doubled up with condoms that would be very safe.

98% effective means 2 pregnancies per 100 condom usages.

No, it doesn't. It means that, over the course of a year (and hence hopefully many condom usages!), there will be 2 pregnancies per 100 couples using condoms as their only contraception.

I always wonder this- is the 2% from split/broken ones that you’d notice or do they fall into the used incorrectly pile.

So do 2 people out of every 100 take off a perfect condom and still get pregnant or do 2 people out of 100 using it perfectly still get breaks

@Namelessinseattle that's what I wonder too!
@cshelp thanks but I already have heavy periods so apparently the copper coil will make them much worse.

@littlemisscynical oh yes definite no in that case. The Mirena is better for women who suffer heavy periods, although I also badly react to hormonal contraceptives so I've avoided it even though I know it's much less than the pill.