My condom broke. What should I do now? First steps and when to test

Four things to do in this order. First, stop and check where the condom is; if it has come off inside you and is easy to reach, remove it gently with clean fingers. Next, if pregnancy is possible, act today: emergency contraception must be used within 3 to 5 days depending on the type taken and, as the NHS explains, works better the sooner you use it. Then think about HIV, because if there is a real chance your partner has it, this is the step measured in hours. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), a 28-day course of anti-HIV tablets, should start as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours, and is not recommended more than 72 hours after the exposure, according to the BHIVA/BASHH guideline of 2021. Finally, put the test dates in your diary. The Peace of Mind screen, which tests for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and Syphilis, can be taken 14 days after the incident; a screen that includes HIV and Hepatitis B can be taken at 28 days; and an early detection test for HIV can be taken at 10 days.

The first hour is about limiting the damage, not diagnosis. Stop and withdraw as soon as you notice, and even if ejaculation hadn’t happened yet, a lower risk is not a zero risk. If the condom has slipped off inside the vagina, remove it gently with clean fingers, squatting or bearing down to bring it within reach; it cannot go anywhere, because the cervix blocks the way. If it is in the rectum and out of easy reach, do not keep trying, because it needs to be removed by a healthcare professional the same day.
Go and pee, then wash the outside with warm water, for comfort rather than protection: washing does not reduce the risk of infection or pregnancy, and douching or washing inside can irritate the lining. Write down the date and time, since every date that follows, from 72 hours to 28 days, counts from that moment. If your partner is still with you, ask when they last had an STI test and whether they have any symptoms; it is an awkward question and a useful one, and our post “Should we get tested before having sex?” has words that help. Do not take leftover antibiotics in the meantime, because they can mask an infection without curing it and make a later negative result unreliable.

If semen could have reached the vagina and you are not using another form of contraception, treat pregnancy as a real possibility and use emergency contraception, which has a time limit. The NHS says it must be used within 3 to 5 days of unprotected sex, depending on the type: the emergency pill within 3 or 5 days and the emergency IUD within 5 days. The sooner you use it, the more effective it usually is. An STI test cannot help with this part, so deal with it today and then we’ll come back to the testing plan below.

PEP is a 28-day course of anti-HIV medicine taken after a possible exposure to stop the virus taking hold. It should start as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours, and the BHIVA and BASHH guideline of 2021 does not recommend it beyond 72 hours; our own HIV page gives the same advice.
Not every broken condom calls for it. The guideline recommends PEP after higher-risk exposures. One is receptive anal sex with a partner whose HIV status you do not know and who is from a group or country where HIV is more common; another is vaginal or anal sex with a partner who has HIV and is not on effective treatment. If your exposure was one of these and you are inside the 72 hours, do not wait for a test. Seek urgent medical care today so that PEP can be started in time, and call our Patient Care Team on 020 7099 0955 to plan the tests that follow. The guideline does not recommend PEP when the partner has HIV but has been on treatment for at least six months, has an undetectable viral load and is taking it reliably, because it is impossible for them to transmit the virus. If you do take PEP, it advises an HIV test at least 45 days after the course ends, so tell us when you book and we will set the right date.

Yes, one exposure is enough, and having no symptoms afterwards does not mean nothing was passed on. Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and HIV pass in genital fluids, while Syphilis and Herpes pass by contact with a sore, which is why, as the WHO points out, a condom does not protect against those two when the sore is outside the area it covers. Our post “3 STIs you can catch even if you use a condom” explains them in more detail.

The same UKHSA report counts 334,151 new STI diagnoses in England in 2025, including 63,943 of Gonorrhoea and 8,262 of infectious Syphilis, and many of them are silent; our Chlamydia page puts it plainly, with about 50% of men and 75% of women showing no symptoms. Feeling fine two weeks later therefore tells you very little. A condom does not have to split to fail, either; it can slip during sex or come off on withdrawal, and our post “Can condoms fail without breaking?” covers the failures you do not see.

Count from the date you wrote down. A test can find an established infection earlier, but only a test taken after the window period can rule one out. The earliest test days and results times below are those on the Better2Know product pages, checked on 4 September 2026; laboratory results are counted in working days from your sample reaching the laboratory.

For most people the simplest plan is the Peace of Mind at two weeks followed by the Full Screen at four. If you are unsure which row is yours, our guide to which STI test you need after a new partner walks through the choice. If oral or anal sex was involved, ask for a throat or rectal swab as well, because a urine sample only tests the urethra.

Three pieces of guidance sit behind those dates. The 2026 BASHH Chlamydia guideline recommends a repeat NAAT test two weeks after any exposure in the last fortnight. Syphilis antibodies take longer to appear, and a negative result within 3 months cannot exclude early Syphilis, so the BASHH Syphilis guideline of 2024 advises repeat screening 3 months after any high-risk contact. If Syphilis is a specific worry, book a further Syphilis test then. For HIV, our own page advises repeating the test 4 to 6 weeks after the first one if your exposure was high.
You can test at one of our private clinics across the UK, where many appointments are available the same or next day, or order a home test kit in plain packaging, posted first class the same day for weekday orders placed before 4pm, with free return postage. Results go to your secure online patient area, and if anything is found we arrange a doctor’s consultation and help you get treatment. Every test is confidential, and our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Many people will notice nothing at all, which is the reason to test on the date you calculated rather than wait and see, but some things should bring the test forward to today. Watch for discharge from the penis or vagina that is new, different in colour or smell, or heavier than usual, and for pain or burning when you pee. A sore, ulcer or blister on the genitals, anus or mouth matters even if it is painless. So does a rash, particularly on the palms, soles or trunk. Bleeding after sex or between periods, or pain low in the tummy, also needs a test. A flu-like illness with fever, sore throat, swollen glands or a rash in the weeks after the incident can be an early sign of HIV. If any of these appear, test straight away, because a positive result is meaningful whenever it comes, while an early negative still needs repeating on the dates above.

According to our infection pages, Chlamydia symptoms, when they come, are usually seen 1 to 3 weeks after infection and Gonorrhoea symptoms 5 to 30 days after, so a quiet first week means little. Symptoms can also fade on their own while the infection is still present.

Condoms rarely fail for no reason, and the NHS advice on using them covers several of the usual culprits. Oil-based lubricant is the classic one, because massage oil, moisturiser and baby oil all weaken latex, so use a water-based or silicone-based lubricant and use enough of it. Opening the packet with teeth, nails or jewellery can nick the condom before it is on, so tear the foil at the notch and roll it out with your fingers. Air trapped in the tip is another common cause, which is why you squeeze the tip before rolling the condom down, as our post “How are condoms used?” shows step by step.

Fit and timing matter too. A condom that is too tight tears and one that is too loose slips, and one that is out of date, or has lived in a wallet, a glove box or next to a radiator, is weaker than it should be. Put it on before any genital contact and take it off straight after ejaculation, held at the base while you withdraw, because a condom that goes on late or comes off late has already allowed the contact it was there to prevent. Using a condom twice is never an option, and our post “Why you should never re-use a condom” explains why. None of this is about blame; it is about making the next one less likely to fail.

Better2Know’s booking data shows that 46% of sexual health bookings at our UK clinics are made online and 51% by phone. Only 3% come through web chat.

Around half of the people who come to us book by phone, and our line is open 24/7 because a condom that breaks at one in the morning does not wait for office hours, and neither does the worry. The other half book online without speaking to anyone, and both routes lead to the same appointment, the same laboratory and the same secure results area.

How long after a condom broke can I get tested for STIs?
A reliable test for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea can be taken 14 days after the condom broke, which is the incubation period for Better2Know’s Peace of Mind screen and for our Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea tests. HIV can be tested from 10 days with our early detection test or from 28 days with a standard one, and a Syphilis test at 14 days should be repeated 3 months after a high-risk contact, as BASHH advises. Test sooner if you have symptoms or if your partner tells you they have an infection.

The condom slipped off inside me. What should I do?
Remove it as soon as you can with clean fingers, squatting or bearing down to bring it within reach, and then follow the same steps as for a broken condom. In the vagina a condom cannot go anywhere, because the cervix blocks the way, whereas in the rectum it can move higher, so if you cannot reach it easily it needs to be removed by a clinician the same day. The pregnancy and STI risks are the same as for a split condom, so the emergency contraception time limit and the 14-day test date still apply.

Can I get an STI if my partner did not ejaculate?
Yes, you can catch an STI even if your partner did not ejaculate, because infections such as Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea are carried in genital fluids that are present before ejaculation, and Syphilis and Herpes can pass through skin contact with a sore. Ejaculation raises the risk of some infections, but its absence does not remove it, so the testing dates are the same either way.

Do I need PEP if the condom broke?
You need PEP only if the exposure carried a real risk of HIV. The UK guideline gives as examples receptive anal sex with a partner whose status you do not know and who is from a group or country where HIV is more common, and vaginal or anal sex with a partner who has HIV and is not on effective treatment. PEP is not recommended beyond 72 hours and should start as soon as possible, preferably within 24, so if your exposure was one of these, act today rather than waiting for a test. If your partner has HIV, has been on treatment for at least six months, has an undetectable viral load and takes it reliably, the UK guideline does not recommend PEP.

What if I have no symptoms after a condom broke?
Test anyway, because most curable STIs we see have no symptoms, according to the WHO. About 50% of men and 75% of women with Chlamydia notice nothing, and Gonorrhoea, Syphilis and HIV can all be silent for weeks or longer. The only way to know is to test on the dates: a Peace of Mind screen at 14 days for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and Syphilis, a Full Screen at 28 days for HIV and Hepatitis B, and a repeat Syphilis test at 3 months if the contact was high risk.

Should my partner get tested too?
Yes, your partner should test too, ideally on the same timetable, because if either of you tests positive the other will need testing and treatment, and BASHH’s testing guidance recommends a test at the start of a relationship and again after any change of partner. Testing together is also the quickest way to stop worrying about each other, and our post “Should we get tested before having sex?” covers how to raise it.

A broken condom is a worrying moment rather than a disaster, and the things that matter most happen in the first day: emergency contraception if pregnancy is possible, PEP if there was a real risk of HIV, and a note of the date. After that the plan is a calendar, with a Peace of Mind screen at 14 days for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and Syphilis, a Full Screen at 28 days if you want HIV and Hepatitis B ruled out too, and a further Syphilis test at 3 months if the contact was high risk.

Most people who test after a broken condom get a negative result and their peace of mind back; those who test positive have found out early, when every one of these infections is treatable. Book the Better2Know Peace of Mind for 14 days after the incident at a clinic near you or with a home test kit, and if you would rather talk it through first, our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Medical review. This article was medically reviewed by Dr Steve Chapman. Better2Know content is reviewed for clinical accuracy before publication and updated whenever guidance or surveillance data changes. It is general information and not a substitute for personal medical advice.

Data note. Better2Know statistics come from an internal analysis of active sexual health bookings at UK clinics between 1 January 2025 and 31 July 2026 (export of 10 August 2026), excluding cancelled and withdrawn bookings and tests that are not sexual health tests. The booking-channel figures cover the 7,369 bookings with a recorded channel. Figures are proportions and describe booking behaviour, not infection prevalence. (Register UK-15.)

Sources

1. NHS, Condoms, page last reviewed 26 January 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/condoms/
2. NHS, Emergency contraception, page last reviewed 31 January 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/emergency-contraception/
3. British HIV Association and British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, UK Guideline for the use of HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis 2021 (post-consultation version, 2023 amendment). https://bhiva.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PEP-guidelines.pdf
4. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, Summary guidance on testing for sexually transmitted infections, 2023. https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/resources/bashh_summary_guidance_on_stis_testing_2023.pdf
5. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, UK national guideline for the management of infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, 2026. https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/national_guideline_for_the_management_of_infection_chlamydia_trachomatis_2026.pdf
6. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, UK guidelines for the management of syphilis, 2024. https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/syphilis_2024.pdf
7. UK Health Security Agency, Sexually transmitted infections and screening for chlamydia in England: 2025 report, 2 June 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis-annual-data-tables/sexually-transmitted-infections-and-screening-for-chlamydia-in-england-2025-report
8. World Health Organization, Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) fact sheet, 10 September 2025. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sexually-transmitted-infections-(stis)
9. Better2Know UK pages for the Peace of Mind (clinic and home test kit), Instant Peace of Mind Screen, Early Detection Screen, Full Screen (clinic and home test kit), the Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, HIV and Hepatitis B information pages, the clinics page and the home tests page, checked 4 September 2026.
10. Better2Know booking data, 1 January 2025 to 31 July 2026, internal analysis (Data Register UK-15).