Can you use two condoms for extra protection?
- Mark*

No, you should never use more than one condom at a time. Using two condoms actually offers less protection than using just one. Why? Using two condoms can cause friction between them, weakening the material and increasing the chance that the condoms might break.

No other method of birth control is as successful at protecting people against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as a condom. So always use a condom if you are having any kind of sex. But just one at a time!

Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD
Date reviewed: November 2010

Have a question? Ask the experts.

* Names have been changed to protect user privacy.