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Does using two condoms provide better safety against HIV?

Friday, 04 August 2006
Answered by: Dr. L.M. Nath
Consultant, Community Medicine,

New Delhi
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Q. Does using two condoms, one on top of the other, give better safety or does it produce any kind of friction and heat hence affecting latex? What is the role of Vitamin C in HIV? If you say a person with a strong immune system doesn't succumb to HIV easily, then does vitamin C help in anyway by building a strong immune system?

A.  There is no authentic research data on the efficacy of two condoms in comparison to using one alone. We know that modern condoms, in good condition and not expiry dated or subjected to excessive heat are effective barriers to HIV passage. We also know that all Indian condoms now meet international standards of safety. I know that many people use one condom over another, especially in anal sex, but can not answer your question with any scientific knowledge. While it stands to reason that a healthy person with a strong immune system can resist all infections better than a person with a deficient immune system, the role of agents that bolster the immune system have more practical value in extending the asymptomatic period in HIV infected persons than in prevention of HIV infection per se.

A.  There is no authentic research data on the efficacy of two condoms in comparison to using one alone. We know that modern condoms, in good condition and not expiry dated or subjected to excessive heat are effective barriers to HIV passage. We also know that all Indian condoms now meet international standards of safety. I know that many people use one condom over another, especially in anal sex, but can not answer your question with any scientific knowledge. While it stands to reason that a healthy person with a strong immune system can resist all infections better than a person with a deficient immune system, the role of agents that bolster the immune system have more practical value in extending the asymptomatic period in HIV infected persons than in prevention of HIV infection per se.

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