10 Frequent Asked Questions Regarding Condom Broke

Written by Dr. Timothy Tay - PULSE Kuala Lumpur

1. Am I F#cked? 

Yes and No. Well, any degree of condom break will expose you to a certain risk of contracting HIV and other STDs. It's essential to assess the situation and get medical attention ASAP. 

But if you get help early, there is still a possibility for us to prescribe you proper prophylaxis, for example, emergency PEP, emergency contraceptives, etc. 

2. Am I still at risk if I withdraw immediately after the noted condom breaks? 

Yes, because once the condom is broken, there will be chances where you will be exposed to body fluid. 

3. I washed myself after that. Will that reduce my exposure? 

Yes, washing the genitalia area after exposure can reduce the concentration of body fluids that are present in your genitalia. However, keep in mind that do not douche, scrub or use harsh disinfectants because they might remove the protective layers from your mucosal membrane and might cause micro wound / inflammatory response, which may promote infection. 

But always remember to get help quickly.  

4. What do I need to think about when the condom breaks? 

The first ever thing that you should be worried about would be HIV infection, so it's important to talk to your partner regarding the risk of HIV transmission prior to the incident. Also, it is important to seek help within the 72 hours so that we will be able to prescribe your emergency PEP. 

For women, they should be worried regarding pregnancy. If you are not using proper contraception , you might need to get emergency contraception and its best effect is within 48H .

The third thing that everyone would be worried about will be STDs. Any form of exposure will increase your risk of getting STDs, talk to us and get tested ASAP.

5. Why will my condom broke? 

Condom broke mainly due to excessive friction occurs during intercourse. Improper usage ( inappropriate size , using petroleum-based lube, etc) might factors in to condom broke. Its important to always read the label /instruction and expiry dates prior to using a condom to make sure the condom is in a perfect state.

6. What should I do now? 

The first thing that you noted when condom broke, is actually to stop what ever you are doing and to assess the situation (any ejaculation, any penetration etc). The next step would be visiting a healthcare center to get appropriate prophylaxis. 

7. Do I need to get tested immediately for HIV?

If your exposure is within a 72Hrs period , talk to your health-care provider regarding the role PEP ( the sooner the better). 

However, if your exposure if after the 72Hrs period, to talk to your healthcare provider for HIV testing because of the availability of different HIV tests and them windows period. 

• Nucleic Acid Test (NAT)—A NAT can usually tell you if you have HIV infection 10 to 33 days after exposure
• Antigen/Antibody Test—An antigen/antibody test performed by a laboratory on blood from a vein can usually detect HIV infection 18 to 45 days after exposure. Antigen/antibody tests done with blood from a finger prick take longer to detect HIV (18 to 90 days after an exposure).
• Antibody Test—An antibody test can take 23 to 90 days to detect HIV infection after an exposure. Most rapid tests and self-tests are antibody tests. In general, antibody tests that use blood from a vein detect HIV sooner after infection than tests done with blood from a finger prick or with oral fluid.

You are not advisable to do testing on your own and assume that you are not infected if the result is negative because you might well within the windows period of the test and unsure of it.

8.Beside HIV, could I be contracting other STDs ? 

Yes, that why its important for you to visit a healthcare provider and get tested. Some STDs does not exhibit any symptoms, it means that your partner might be carrying certain STDs and passed on you without knowing.

Some of the common STDs that will be tested will be chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, syphilis and so on.

Its important for you to get tested and treated because most of these STDs are curable with proper medications.

9.Both me and my partner are on Prep, do I still need to be worry about broken condom ? 

According to CDC USA , PrEP when taken consistently and correctly can effectively reduce the risk of getting HIV via sexual contact by about 99% . However, the exact situation needs to be assessed on case-to-case basis including compliance to prep which contribute to a major factor of PrEP effectiveness.

10. How can I reduce my risk for breakage going forward?

There are a number of things you can do to increase the effectiveness of your condom and minimize the risk of it breaking.Be sure to buy the correct condom size

• Tearing and breaking is often a sign that the condom was too small.

If the condom slipped off during sex, it’s probably too big.

• Check the expiration date before using it

Old condoms are more likely to break.

• Check it for damage, then hold the rim of the condom in one hand, pinch the tip with your thumb and forefinger, and roll the condom down your penis or dildo.
• Never use 2 condoms together at once
• Use lube! Just make sure it’s the right kind of lube. Only use water- or silicone-based ones, never oil-based. Oil-based lubes can weaken the condom material.
• Always store condoms properly. Keep condoms away from heat, cold, and direct sunlight, which can weaken the material that condoms are made of and increase the risk of breakage. 

References 

• https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/effective-interventions/prevent/prep/index.html
• https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/hiv-testing/learn-about-hiv-testing/hiv-testing-overview
• https://www.bhiva.org/file/5f68c0dd7aefb/HIV-testing-guidelines-2020.pdf
• https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/hiv-testing/negative-hiv-results.html