Top 10 Reasons to Use a Condom

There are numerous contraceptive methods that you and your partner can use -- everything from pills to injections to implants. And of course there are condoms. When used correctly they can all be very effective methods of preventing unwanted pregnancy.

But the fact is, using a condom can often be the easiest, least expensive, and least intrusive method of contraception. And using condoms can have important health benefits as well.

Here are the top 10 reasons to use condoms rather than alternative contraceptive methods:

10. Condoms are widely available in pharmacies, supermarkets, and can be ordered online from many well established websites.

9. Condoms are a necessity for busy people in modern society.

8. Condoms are easy to use. The intervention of a health care professional is not required.

7. Condoms are a highly reliable method of birth control when used properly. On average they are up to 98% effective.

6. No need to "take" a pill that impacts your entire body and alters natural processes. Condoms are only required when you are having sex.

5. Unlike the alternatives, condoms can actually enhance the sexual experience because they are available in many sizes, shapes, textures, and flavours.

4. There are no medical side effects as with virtually all other birth control methods.

3. Condoms help protect women from infections and the development of cancer of the cervix.

2. When used properly, condoms are the only contraceptive that helps to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.

1. Condoms are neat and tidy and make sex less messy.

Many people who have tried the alternatives are returning to condoms. They have decided the potential side-effects of other methods are not acceptable, or they are simply unwilling to tamper with the natural cycles of their body. Just as important, they have come to realize that only condoms can offer a significant barrier to infection and sexually transmitted diseases.