Yes, the CDC had to ask people not to wash or otherwise reuse condoms

Matthew Diebel | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption CDC wants people to stop reusing condoms It might sound ridiculous, but it's happening.

Seems like some people might be really stretched for cash. Or, perhaps more likely, they’re too busy to head to the store.

Yes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an appeal to folks to not wash or otherwise reuse condoms.

"We say it because people do it,” the CDC tweeted. “Use a fresh one for each #sex act."

In addition to preventing pregnancies, the CDC says on its website, condoms can halt the spread of most sexually transmitted diseases — such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis — but are only fully effective when used according to instructions.

We say it because people do it: Don't wash or reuse #condoms! Use a fresh one for each #sex act. https://t.co/o3SPayRf9m pic.twitter.com/AwkPqE9YMl — CDC STD (@CDCSTD) July 23, 2018

“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, or leakage,” Elizabeth Torrone, an epidemiologist at the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, told BuzzFeed News.

Torrone added that soap and water won’t kill all of the microorganisms on or inside the condom and can also make the latex more prone to tear.

“You should use the condom in the way the manufacturer has intended and tested,” said Alyssa Dweck, a board-certified OB-GYN and author of The Complete A to Z for your V, told Buzzfeed News. “If you don’t, you cannot rely on the condom anymore to do those duties."

Dweck also emphasized one-time use. “Let’s say you have sex three times in one night, you should be changing the condom three times,” she said.

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And Bekki Burbidge, deputy chief executive at sexual health charity FPA, told Newsweek that it’s also important to use a new condom for each new sex act. “For example, if you switch from vaginal sex to anal sex."

The CDC stressed that condom malfunctions, such as ruptures, are not the main cause of unwanted pregnancies and STDs. “The failure of condoms to protect against STD or HIV transmission usually results from inconsistent or incorrect use, rather than product failure,” according to the CDC’s “Condom Effectiveness” website.

The CDC’s warning, although serious, elicited some humorous tweets in response.

“Hold on babe, let me just grab one off the clothes line...,” wrote one user identified as Charles Hall.

“Hold on babe, let me just grab one off the clothes line...” — Charles Hall (@CharlesHaHaHall) July 25, 2018

And a tweeter with the handle What a Stupid Time to be Alive, asked “what the hell am I supposed to with all these condoms in the dishwasher now?”

Well, what the hell am I supposed to with all these condoms in the dishwasher now? — What a Stupid Time to be Alive (@mrd125) July 25, 2018

Meanwhile, if cost is an issue, free or low-cost condoms can often be obtained from state or other health departments, doctor’s offices, college health centers and nonprofit sexual health clinics, according to Planned Parenthood, which also gives out free condoms.