What to Do If The Condom Broke?
You went out partying and had met someone you wanted to get to know in a physical way. You brought him/her home with you, had a few more drinks, and then started tearing of each other’s clothes. You made the adult, intelligent decision to use a condom, and then you got down to business. Fate laughed in your carefully safe face and snapped the condom. Oh no! What do you do if the condom broke?
The first step is to stay calm and not to panic. This situation happens to every sexually active individual from time to time. The second step is to hit the showers. Both partners should take a hot shower and thoroughly wash the genitals with some warm, soapy water. It cannot be overemphasized: a woman should not douche.
Douching will actually increase the chances of STD transmission.
Both partners should be honest about their sexual history with one another. It is recommended that people who are sexually active with multiple partners should routinely have a STD test done by their physician.
Of course, other than STD transmission, the other big worry in this situation is pregnancy. Even better than showering, a warm bath will help clean all of the sperm out of the vagina. Again, douching is a bad idea and can increase the odds of pregnancy, as well as irritating the vagina. Keeping spermicide handy is a great idea. The spermicide should be applied as close to the cervix as possible, because that is the area the sperm will be wriggling their way towards as fast as possible.
If spermicide is not immediately available, then vitamin C tablets (ascorbic acid) can serve in a pinch. Two 500 mg tablets should be inserted in the vagina as close as possible to the cervix. The ascorbic acid will kill any sperm it comes into contact with inside the vagina. If the tablets irritate the vagina, then a warm water bath will help to dilute the acid.
In addition to the above steps, you can always contact your health care practitioner to obtain emergency contraceptive pills. There are many different types, and you can discuss with your health care provider which is right for you. They can be taken right after sexual activity up to five days after sex. They are especially good to have on hand for any woman that is on vacation.
If you have any more concerns, be sure to talk with your physician.