Condoms Are Not the Answer!

Condoms might protect people from pregnancy and most forms of STD, but there's a lot they don't protect people from.*

For starters, condoms do not protect against human papillomavirus (HPV), which can be passed by body parts left uncovered by a condom. There are over 100 strains of HPV, which can cause a number of things, from genital warts to prostate cancer in men and cervical cancer in women. (Over 12,000 women develop invasive cervical cancer a year and over 4,000 women die from it.) HPV is most common among men and women who have multiple sex partners. (HPV can be detected in woman by a Pap test but there are no HPV tests for men.)

Additionally, a particular spermicide used in some condoms can actually make people more likely to contract HIV! Nonoxynol-9 (N9) is a spermicide used in many condoms (and most diaphragm jellies). N9 makes tiny scratches in the vaginal walls, which makes the transmission of disease more likely. A four-year study found that people who used N9 had a 50% higher rate of infection than those who used a placebo. (Use of N9 can also lead to vaginal lesions and urinary tract infections.)

Other types of contraception have problems, too. The contraceptive depo-provera has been linked to a significant loss of bone density and can lead to osteoporosis in women. The problem is so severe that the FDA has issued a warning against its use, especially for young women. The warning states, in part, "this loss of BMD (bone mineral density) is of particular concern during adolescence and early adulthood, a critical period of bone accretion." This loss of bone density is greater the longer the drug is administered and it may not be reversible.

As if that weren't enough, women who use depo-provera are three times more likely to contract Chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Well, there's always the patch, right? Not so fast. The Ortho Evra contraceptive patch contains a hormone known to cause blood clots. The FDA received 21 reports of life-threatening blood clots associated with patch use. The patch has been linked to the deaths of at least 17 young women between the ages of 17 and 30 in a two-year period. (17 is awfully young to have a fatal heart attack.) The first Ortho Evra fatality occurred in April 2005, when an 18-year-old fashion student collapsed in a New York City subway station; a patch-induced blood clot had moved into her lung.

Of course, there's always old reliable, the pill, right? Right?

Eh... maybe not... Yes, the pill is safer than most other forms of birth control. And most of its side effects are relatively mild. (These can include nausea, weight gain, headaches, dizziness, breast tenderness and irregular menstrual bleeding, among others.) But there are some more serious, if less common, side effects. These include migraines, gall bladder disease, increased blood pressure and liver tumors. Worst of all are the increased chance of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. And yes, the pill has 60% less estrogen than the patch, but the pill is used every day, so over the course of a month, there is a higher total amount absorbed in the body.

In the interest of fairness, there are some positive side effects to the pill. Doctors often prescribe it even for women who are not sexually active to help with menstrual problems or (believe it or not) acne. If you and your doctor balance the pros and cons, there may be legitimate reasons to take the pill even without sex. But even if its own health risks are small or rare, remember that the pill doesn't protect against disease!

And no form of birth control protects against the non-physical effects of sexual activity. Guilt, worry, regret, shame, depression and other emotional consequences remain the same, regardless of any contraceptives that may be used.

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*There are certain forms of birth control that a married couple may be permitted to use under certain circumstances, but a condom is not among them. Married persons in search of guidance in this area, please consult your rabbi. If you do not have a rabbi, please email .

For further information on this topic, please refer to the following sources:
The National Institute of Health: Report on Condom Effectiveness; Primer on HPV
American Social Health Association: HPV Myths and Misconceptions
American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology: Medical FAQs on the Natural History of HPV
http://www.fda.gov/oashi/aids/condom.html
http://www.metrokc.gov/health/apu/infograms/nonoxynol9-0403.htm
Reproductive Health Technologies Project: New Research: Depo Provera and STD Risk

Medical information can change as new studies are performed. For up-to-date information, be sure to ask your doctor or consult a reputable medical news source.

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