Internal condom (FC2)

Inserting an internal condom should get easier the more you do it. You should try practicing when it’s not the heat of the moment.

If your partner can feel the inner ring, you may not have it pushed far enough into your vagina. So try pushing it in a little farther.

Fun fact: You can insert the internal condom up to 2 hours before having sex. Not-so-fun fact: if you stand up with it in, the internal condom will hang slightly out of the vagina. The part that sticks out does serve a purpose (it helps the internal condom stay in place and helps protect you from skin-to-skin transmission of STIs). If you want to insert it early, you might want to try wearing a snug pair of underwear when out and about to hold the external part of the condom closer to your body if it bothers you.

Lube may be the answer here. Try using a bit of lube and see if it gets any quieter.

Lube may be the answer here. Try using a bit of lube and see if it still gets stuck.

If you’re under the influence of alcohol—or anything else—a birth control method that doesn’t require action right when you’re about to get your freak on may be your safest bet. Fortunately, there are plenty of options. Note: These methods will cover you against pregnancy, but you should pair them with a condom for STI protection.

And speaking of covering all your bases, here are some tips for safer, smarter hookups.

That all depends how they’re used. With perfect use they are around 95% effective, but the way they’re typically used you can expect around them to be closer to 79% effective.

In other words:

Of those women who use the internal condom exactly as directed, about 5 in 100 will experience an accidental pregnancy during the first year they use this method.

Of those women who do not use the internal condom exactly as directed, about 21 in 100 will experience an accidental pregnancy during the first year they use this method.

Yep. Try using a internal condom. It’s latex free. Also, there are condoms available that are made out of polyurethane that you might want to check out.

Check out our section on how to remove a internal condom.

Check out our section on how to insert a internal condom.

If the condom breaks—or leaks or spills—use emergency contraception as soon as you can and up to five days after it happens. You may also want to get tested for STIs.