I have a general question about condom usuage and condom failure and HIV prevention.

I am a man.

If for some reason a condom has a hole before I use it for vaginal intercourse,

and then I use the condom with a hole for vaginal intercourse.

Maybe the condom has a defect or expired and it caused the condom to have a hole,

maybe the condom package was opened by teeth and it made a hole in the condom,

or maybe I use the same condom for first getting a blowjob,

the condom gets a hole/damage by teeth during blowjob, 

and afterwards I I use the same condom with a hole  for having a vaginal intercourse.

I have previously read that when a condom fails/damaged or have a hole 

during vaginal intercourse it should shred/break wide open during the vaginal interccourse.

I have few questions about this issue :

 

1.    How much time after the start of the vaginal sex with a condom with a hole, the condom should

       shred/break wide open?

       Does the condom shred should happen immediately after the start of a vaginal sex with a condom with a hole,

       or it might take a certain amount of time(maybe longer than the length of the vaginal sex)?

2.    Is it possible that during vaginal intercourse, damage / hole to the condom will go unoticed

       (maybe the hole was not big enough to notice and the condom didn't have enough time to fully break) .

       And since the vaginal intercourse don't last that long enough, perhaps the condom  don't have time to fully 

       break, but the hole in condom was big enough to facilate HIV transmission?

       Could HIV infection happen in such situation in a way that the HIV 

       infection could happen and I will not be able to notice it since the condom didn't have enough time to fully break

       but the condom still had a hole during vaginal intercourse which may cause an HIV infection?

       Or such situation is impossible since the condom shred/break wide open should happen immeditaely 

       after the start of a vaginal sex with a condom with a hole?

3.   If the damege/hole to the condom is in the condom reservoir and 

      I make a vaginal intercourse with the condom with the hole on the condom reservoir.

       Does the condom shred should happen immediately after the start of a vaginal sex with a condom with  a hole on 

       the condom reservoir,

       or it might take a certain amount of time(maybe longer than the length of the vaginal sex)?

       Maybe when the hole is on the condom reservoir,

       the condom shred should happen more time after the start of a vaginal sex 

       because there is less stress during vaginal intercourse on the condom reservoir

       comparing to the other areas of the condom?

These issues causes me doubts and concerns about HIV infection after sexual incidents so I would

appreciate your answers to my questions so that I know the right facts.

I may be overthinking about these scenarios, but knowing the right facts would 

help me set the right mindset and avoid needless concerns.

Thank you doctors for the help

As you probably will understand, there has been little systematic research on condom integrity, failures, etc. And certainly I and the other forum moderators are not experts in condom manufacture, function, defects, and breakage. Most of what we have said previously on this forum, and my replies to your questions, are based on reports from patients I have cared for, basic common sense (with a little knowledge about latex and other condom materials), and to some extent on personal experience.

I'll start by questioning the one premise of your questions. I think it very rare that condoms have pre-existing holes, either microscopic or visible. If you avoid inexpensive condoms (and those dispensed by vending machines in toilets), I think you need not worry at all about any of this. As you suggest yourself, it seems likely that most condom defects occur because of improper condom use, especially from teeth when condoms are used during oral sex. That said, I'll answer your questions as best I can.

1) How soon a condom might break probably depends on the amount and size of preexisting damage. I can envision this happening immediately at the start of intercourse, or not until 15 minutes later. Anal sex might increase the risk of breakage compared to vaginal sex. Vigor of sex (e.g. force of thrusting) probably has an effect as well.

2) I have trouble visualizing a defect large enough to allow HIV or other viruses or bacteria to pass that also would not be easily seen. The notion of microscopic pores that allow disease transmission is an urban myth, with no data behind it -- as far as I know. For example, natural membrane condom, which have natural pores, probably are highly effective in preventing infection -- likely just as effective as condoms made of latex or polyethylene.

3) I have absolutely no idea whether a hole would be more likely in the reservoir tip or whether this might affect the chance of condom rupture.

In response to your closing comment, I do think you indeed are overthinking all this. My advice is to always use condoms for vaginal or anal sex with new or non-monogamous partners, or whenever there is uncertainty about a partner's infection status; use them sensibly (e.g. change condoms after say oral sex, before vaginal or anal); be aware that breakage does occur sometimes and generally not be predicted, which means that regardless of condom use you should be aware of a partner's likely STD/HIV risks and choose partners with care.

I hope these comments are a little bit helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

Thank  you for your answers.

I have read your responses and understood them except for question number 1.

I quote your reply : 

Thank for the help.

Sorry, still didn't manage to understand exactly your answer.

You mean that you think the break open of the condom with a pre -existing hole 

the vaginal sex with a pre -existing hole in the condom?

Or you mean that it might hapeen somewhere between 0-15 minitues after the start 

Just don't mange to understand the defenition of  "not until after 15 minitues later"?

Regards

It means 0-15 minutes. Breakage might occur upon entry into the vagina or until sex is finished, however long that might be. (15 minutes is just a rough estimate of now long intercourse might last.)

That completes two replies to follow-up questions and so concludes this thread. I hope the discussion has been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe.