Condoms are not 100% effective. When used perfectly every time, condoms are about 98% effective at preventing pregnancy. Typical use, which accounts for incorrect or inconsistent use, lowers the effectiveness to about 82-87%. This means that with perfect use, 2 out of 100 women might get pregnant over a year, but typical use results in higher risk of pregnancy due to user errors like breakage, slipping, or not using the condom throughout sex.
Condoms also reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, but they do not provide complete protection against all STIs because some infections can be transmitted through skin contact outside the area covered by the condom.
In summary, condoms are highly effective when used consistently and correctly, but they are not 100% foolproof either in preventing pregnancy or STIs.
