Condom or no condom are you still safe?

                                 
Lots of couples play it safe by doubling up on birth control during intercourse, like using condoms plus a super-reliable method like the Pill or the ring. Often, this happens when you already take hormonal birth control but you aren’t comfortable going condom-free with a guy just yet. It makes sense, and it’s a smart choice. But remember, this only helps if you’re using both methods the right way.

According to a new study in the journal Contraception, 12 percent of people used a condom along with another method of birth control the last time they had sex. But among those who used both, only 59 percent of them actually had the condom on during the entire sex session, which pretty much defeats the purpose and puts you at risk for STDs and unintended pregnancy.

Up until now, very little data exists on what researchers dubbed “dual use” couples, which are sexual partners who use both a condom and another highly effective birth control method. So researchers enrolled over 800 participants to see who chose this double method and what else their habits might reveal. The sample was almost evenly split between men and women, and all participants were within the ages of 18-44. The people were surveyed about the methods they used, if condoms were one of them, and if so, when the condom was put on and taken off.

Get this: Only 50 percent of dual users reported using a condom in all of the previous times they had intercourse with their partner. And when they did use a condom, 41 percent didn’t wear it correctly. A whopping 35 percent put it on after intercourse had started, and six percent took it off mid-sex.