In the market for condoms?

Here's some good news from our friends at Consumer Reports Health: It's very difficult to buy a bad condom.

Nineteen out of the 20 brands of latex condoms CR tested for strength, reliability, leakage, and package integrity passed the tests (see the full report in the December issue of the magazine).

In fact, seven condoms got a perfect score of 100, which CR calls "a somewhat rare occurrence.'' The magnificent seven were: Durex Performax; Lifestyles Ultra Sensitive Lubricated; Lifestyles Warming Pleasure; Trojan Her Pleasure Ecstasy; Trojan Magnum Lubricated; Trojan Ultra Ribbed Ecstasy; and Trojan Ultra Thin. (Who comes up with these names?)   
 
Given that 500 to 600 samples of each model were tested, that's saying something.

Be warned: The Night Light Glow in the Dark condom failed CR's criteria for the number of samples with holes. But it did glow in the dark, so that's at least something.

Consumer Reports did not, we are primly informed, test the condoms for "ease of use.''

Of course, it doesn't matter how good a condom is if you don't use it properly, which means every single time you have sex. Here's a video (don't worry people, it's clean) from Planned Parenthood, should you need some tips.

If you're using a condom for contraception, you'd do well to use it with another method such as a spermacide.  Two percent of women whose partners use condoms correctly will get pregnant within a year; the rate climbs to 15 percent among women whose partners use condoms, but not always correctly.

And as for preventing STDs, condoms are a big help, but they're far from infallible. For instance, one study found that if heterosexual partners used condoms all the time, HIV incidence is reduced 80 percent. Your best protection remains chastity or monogamous sex with a partner who is free of STDs. 

So, be careful out there.

Charlotte Sutton, health and medicine editor