Sex & fertility
Can condoms protect women from sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s)?
Q: I have always made my partners use a condom. How did I end up with genital warts and herpes?
A. There is no 100% safe sex. Condoms are a great safer sex method that can help prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases that are spread to women from male seminal fluid, like HIV, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and Trichomonas.
Unfortunately, condoms do not completely protect you from the infections spread from skin-to-skin contact, like the herpes virus, HPV (human papilloma virus, commonly referred to as genital warts), or pests like “crabs” and scabies.
HPV is also very common in sexually active adults. Fortunately, provided a man or woman’s immune system is strong enough, an HPV infection will clear up on its own — though he or she may remain a carrier. Certain strains of HPV can cause genital warts, and some strains are known to cause abnormal Pap smears and cervical cancer.
That said, a 2006 New England Journal of Medicine study found women whose partners consistently used condoms were 70% less likely to acquire an HPV infection, so condoms certainly afford some level of protection, even if they’re not fail-safe.
Sexually transmitted diseases will continue to present challenges in healthcare and warrant our attention. The CDC and Planned Parenthood websites offer up-to-date information on these subjects.
We also offer several articles on abnormal Pap smears and HPV, as well as important information on the new HPV vaccine that women should be aware of, as it, too, has distinct limitations and drawbacks. When it comes to reproductive health, our philosophy is that information is the key to protection.
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Original Publication Date: 11/01/2005
Last Modified: 08/17/2009
Principal Author: Marcy Holmes, NP, Certified Menopause Clinician