Condom Breakage and Slippage Rates Among Study Participants in Eight Countries

By Markus Steiner, Carla Piedrahita, Carol Joanis, Lucinda Glover and Alan Spruyt Condom research conducted in the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the United States shows that condom breakage rates during vaginal intercourse using lubricated latex condoms range from 0.6% of all condoms used in Sri Lanka to 13.3% in Ghana. Most research sites reported breakage rates below 5%. The rate at which the condom slipped off completely is as high as 9.3% in Kenya, with most of the remaining sites reporting rates below 4%. When breakage and slippage are combined, total condom failure rates range from 3.8% to 13.3%. Although such high condom failure rates may cause alarm, there is evidence that for a majority of users, condoms provide an effective method of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease infection if they are used correctly. The high overall breakage and slippage rates may be caused by incorrect behavior or by certain characteristics of a few participants. (International Family Planning Perspectives, 20:55-58,1994)