Who is Doing It and How Often: Although we don't recommend comparing your sex life to what others consider to be normal, it can be interesting to see how often other couples have intercourse.

In June 2000, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), convened a workshop to evaluate the published evidence establishing the effectiveness of latex male condoms in preventing STDs, including HIV. A summary report from that workshop was completed in July 2001 (http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ dmid/stds/condomreport.pdf). This fact sheet is based on the NIH workshop report and additional studies that were not reviewed in that report or were published subsequent to the workshop (see link for additional references). Most epidemiologic studies comparing rates of STD transmission between condom users and non-users focus on penile-vaginal intercourse.

Condoms are an incredibly cool invention. They prevent disease and, if you're willing to give them a chance ... they can be fun! Several hundred years ago, people made condoms out of pigs' bladders ... but today we can buy condoms that science and technology have almost perfected for our safety and enjoyment.

When condoms fail, it is almost always because they've not been used properly. So here are the top ten tips for using condoms:

This page has statistics and studies from reputable institutions citing the effectiveness of male latex condoms. The last section addresses some common myths about condoms.

The following statistics are from the fact sheet "The Truth About Latex Condoms," developed by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS).

WHAT WOULD MAKE THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES DECIDE to run out and purchase a half million condoms? Ninety-three individuals diagnosed with syphilis, to be exacts--93 cases that also led to the spending of 560,000 county dollars, an educational billboard campaign and the appearance of roving Department of Health vans blood-testing citizens on the streets. Yet 414 syphilis cases were diagnosed last year, and never did Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky--the sponsor of this year's campaign--stand up to motion for a countywide safe-sex crusade. Why now? Because while not one of last year's documented syphilis cases involved a gay man, all 93 individuals testing positive this year were men who have had sex with men (MSMs), and more than half of these men were also HIV-positive.

What do condoms have in common with toothpaste and toilet paper?

Not enough, according to Adam Glickman, owner of the Condomania stores in New York and Los Angeles. Glickman, who has sold condoms by the millions to individuals and organizations such as the Peace Corps and Planned Parenthood, says condoms should be viewed as ordinary, like toothpaste and toilet paper. "People have gotten past asking, 'Isn't brushing my teeth every morning a hassle?' Given the world we live in, wearing condoms is something you just have to do, like brushing your teeth. The stakes are too high."

Pregnancy and birth rates among teenagers in the United States have declined over the past decade but still remain an endemic public health issue.

Reasons for the decline include increased motivation of youth to achieve higher levels of education, the availability of comprehensive sexuality education in schools, leading to young people's knowledge about contraception, more effective contraceptive use, and improved ability to negotiate contraceptive practice; and greater social support for services related to both pregnancy and disease prevention among adolescents.

According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate for teens 15-19 decreased 27 percent between 1990 and 1999. After reaching 117 pregnancies per 1,000 females ages 15-19 in 1990, the pregnancy rate has decreased to 86 pregnancies per 1,000 females ages 15-19. The pregnancy data include births, abortions, and miscarriages.