It depends. If the man ejaculates into the condom before it breaks, then semen, containing sperm, is likely to spill into the vagina. The sperm will then be able to swim up into the women's body in search of an egg to fertilize. If the condom breaks before the man ejaculates, then the risk of pregnancy is very small.

If semen is in the condom, the next concern is whether or not there�s an egg waiting to be fertilized. Most women will release an egg from one of their ovaries about 14 days after the first day of their periods. The egg can only live for 24-36 hours before it dies. So, if the condom breaks AND the woman has recently released (or is just about to release) an egg, then the chances of pregnancy will be very high. If it�s nowhere near the time when she releases an egg, the chances will be much lower. Unfortunately, knowing exactly when a woman will release an egg is really hard to do! 

If the condom breaks, then Emergency Contraception (EC) can be used to reduce the risk of pregnancy. EC is a high dose of hormones that will prevent a pregnancy 75% of the time if taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse.  A provider of EC will discuss the chances of pregnancy when you call to get EC.  

To find out more about EC, ask your health care provider. For a list of providers and more information, call 1-888-NOT-2-LATE or check out NOT-2-LATE.com.