Basic errors—such as putting a condom on too late during intercourse or taking it off before intercourse is over—can contribute to breakage or leakage, according to a study in the journal Sexual Health and reported by MSNBC.com. With perfect use, condoms are 98 percent successful. Researchers at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University reviewed 50 studies involving diverse groups, such as married couples and sex workers, over a 16-year period. Between 17 percent and 51.1 percent of participants said they had put on a condom partway through intercourse, which negates protection from sexual transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Richard Crosby, a coauthor of the study, said, “We chronically underestimate how complicated condom use can be.”

To read the MSNBC.com article, click here.