“The only way to not get pregnant or contract an STD is to practice abstinence,” Katie Rezinas told students attending `Condoms 101′ in Carman Hall Monday night.

Rezinas, a senior speech communications major and member of the Health Awareness campaign, added that “it is more effective to use a condom than to not use anything.”

Rezinas said that her main purpose in giving the presentation was to get people who are sexually active to be familiar with how to properly use a condom. With one million teen pregnancies each year and four million new HIV infections a year, many people are turning to condoms to help protect themselves, Rezinas said.

Condoms are 97 percent effective when used correctly, Rezinas said, but the rate of effectiveness drops to 86 percent or lower when the condom is used incorrectly.

Eric Davidson, assistant director for Health Education and Promotion, pointed out that the most common mistakes students make are forgetting to pinch the tip of the condom when putting it on and failing to hold on to the base of the condom when removing it.

In order to help reduce this problem, students were given the opportunity to practice putting a condom on their own wooden model. Davidson took the students through the 15 steps that are required to properly use a condom.

The process begins, Davidson said, with turning on the lights, checking the expiration date, and making sure that the condom is latex or polyurethane. Other condoms such as lambskin or sheepskin, are very porous and do not provide as much protection, Davidson added.

It is also important to make sure that the condom is right side out and to check to see that it is airtight, Davidson said.

A condom, even when used properly, is safer sex but not safe sex, Davidson said. There are many diseases, such as the as HPV, that condoms provide no protection against.