Condoms Should Not Be Washed And Reused: CDC

Always there to bring reason when it’s clearly lacking in debates, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning Americans not to wash and reuse their condoms. The CDC issued the the warning in a tweet that pictured a brightly colored array of condoms.

Geez terwilliger. Is this really a problem? Yes. Yes it is.

“We say it because people do it: Don’t wash or reuse #condoms!” the agency tweeted. “Use a fresh one for each #sex act.”

As it turns out, people who apparently don’t understand the ins and outs of condoms are turning to Google to find out what to do if the mood strikes and there’s not a condom to be had. Absent a condom, would plastic food wrap or a balloon work just as well?

No. No it won’t.

Take a cold shower instead.

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“Do not use plastic wrap or a balloon in place of a condom. Condoms are made specifically for protection while having intercourse. Don't risk anything without using a condom, it is not worth it. Take the time to go get condoms or try to be prepared ahead of time,” fitness trainer Carlos Mirabal said on the sharecare.com site.

There’s even a video on YouTube that purports to show how to get extra life out of your condom. That’s junk science, too. Please don’t try this at home, or in the back seat of a car, kids (and adults). It’s not going to protect you against the things you want to be protected against, like unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

Dr. Elizabeth Torrone, an epidemiologist at the CDC's Division of STD Prevention, told BuzzFeed News that soap and water won’t kill the microorganisms on or inside the condom and it will weaken the latex and cause it to tear.

“Incorrect use, such as reusing a condom or using more than one at a time, diminishes the protective effect of condoms by leading to condom breakage, slippage and leakage,” Torrone said.

It's also important that condoms fit properly, For the down and dirty on condom use, go to the CDC.

The CDC's tweet yielded some epic responses.

(Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)