Consumer Reports Health found that 19 of 20 brands of latex condoms passed the test for strength, reliability, leakage, and package integrity.
But the Tampa Bay article, In the Market for Condoms?, added these caveats:
If you’re using a condom for contraception, you’d do well to use it with another method such as a spermacide. Two percent of women whose partners use condoms correctly will get pregnant within a year; the rate climbs to 15 percent among women whose partners use condoms, but not always correctly.
And as for preventing STDs, condoms are a big help, but they’re far from infallible. For instance, one study found that if heterosexual partners used condoms all the time, HIV incidence is reduced 80 percent. Your best protection remains chastity or monogamous sex with a partner who is free of STDs.