 As a method of birth control , male condoms have the advantages of being inexpensive , easy to use , having few side effects , and offering protection against sexually transmitted infections . With proper use — and use at every act of intercourse — women whose partners use male condoms experience a 2 % per @-@ year pregnancy rate . With typical use the rate of pregnancy is 18 % per @-@ year . Condoms have been used for at least 400 years . Since the 19th century , they have been one of the most popular methods of contraception in the world . While widely accepted in modern times , condoms have generated some controversy , primarily over what role they should play in sex education classes . 
