Birth Control Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Omnia M Samra, MD

Coauthor:

Sandra Wendel

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Storing Condoms

• Keep condoms in a cool, dry place away from heat and sunlight, such as your bedroom night stand (not medicine cabinet). Your wallet or car is too hot for storing condoms. If you do carry a condom in your wallet for convenience, replace it often. Opening and closing your wallet, not to mention the pressure from sitting on it, will weaken the condom. However, it's better to use a condom that has been in your wallet for a long time than not to use one at all.
• Check expiration dates on the box of condoms. You may see the package marked with “Exp,” showing the expiration date, or “MFG,” the manufacture date. Do not use condoms beyond the expiration date or more than 5 years after the manufacture date. Old condoms can become dry and break more easily. Brittle, sticky, or discolored condoms are old and may break.