Flavoured condoms are safe to use with oral sex. They are popular as some people find they taste better than regular condoms, and they come in a variety of flavours.
The safety of using flavoured condoms of penetrative sex (like vaginal/internal genital or anal/rectal sex) is not well studied.
People can be sensitive to different condom materials and lubricants. With flavoured condoms, there are extra ingredients added for the flavour; these ingredients can cause vaginal/internal genital or anal/rectal irritation. Whenever the vagina/internal genitals or anus/rectum are irritated, it is easier to get an STI.
In addition, these ingredients may also irritate the vagina/internal genitals, causing the natural vaginal/internal genital flora to be imbalanced, which can lead to yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis.
Regardless of which type of condom you use, it is important to use a new condom every time you have sex, with each new partner, and when switching from anal/rectal to oral or vaginal/internal genital sex.
If you used a flavoured condom for vaginal/internal genital or anal/rectal sex and noticed no irritation, there would be no increased risk of STIs and the condom would provide good protection.
For more information about condoms, lubricant, dental dams and other barriers, have a look at our ‘Protection’.