Are Your Condoms a Health Risk?

We've all heard different arguments for and against condom use. Most arguments focus on religious or philosophical beliefs. Those are issues for you to decide on and will not be challenged or discussed here.

However, there are possible health risks related to condom use which are rarely discussed publicly. Some of the risks associated can be severe and you should be aware of these risks if you use condoms. This article does not discourage condom use in any way. I am a strong advocate of condom use for prevention of disease and unwanted pregnancy.

Aside from breakage and the possible risks involved, the most common health risks associated with condoms is allergic reaction. This is more common than many believe and becoming more common.

There are multiple chemicals and substances contained in the most common form of condom in use today. An allergy to any of those chemical substances can cause a reaction.

The most popularly known substance in most condoms which may cause an allergic reaction is latex, which forms the condom, itself. Latex allergies have gained widespread attention in recent years. However, true latex allergies are rare. Some people may have reactions to latex which involve localized skin irritation. Unpleasant but not a true hazard to your health. However, if a true latex allergy does exist, the reaction can become very serious, leading to open wounds, scarring, infertility, urinary issues, respiratory difficulty, cardiac events such as heart attack or stroke, even death.

A lesser known but more serious at even low reaction levels is allergy to lubricants or spermicidal substances. Most common among these reactions is allergy to nonoxynol-9, the most widely used spermicidal substance in use. Reactions may seem mild at first but frequently become worse with repeated exposure. Reactions and complications are similar to those listed for latex.