The rising number of women using the condom may be the headline figure in these latest statistics but that is not necessarily a cause for celebration.

While condoms reduce the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI), they are not as good at preventing unplanned pregnancy. But the Pill, which is equally popular, is not as effective as most women think, either.

Clinical trials show that the Pill and condom are 99.5 per cent and 97 per cent effective respectively, but in the real world, where women forget to take pills and condoms split or are never put on in the first place, failure rates are considerably higher.

According to the latest American research, if 12 women take oral contraceptives for a year, one of them will become pregnant. For condoms the odds are closer to one in six.

The statistics are a concern when you consider that nearly every teenager and young woman in Britain depends on them (other methods barely feature among under-35s). Little wonder that a third of pregnancies in this country are unplanned and that we have one of the highest teenage pregnancy and abortion rates in the developed world.

One solution is to follow the example of other European countries and switch to longer-acting reversible forms of contraception (Larcs) such as injections, implants and intrauterine devices. Not only do they contain fewer hormones than the Pill, which reduces the risk of serious side-effects, but they also cannot be forgotten, which makes them extremely effective (only sterilisation is better).

But using a Larc does not necessarily mean that you should leave the condoms at home. For ultimate protection against pregnancy and STIs, I would advise using both.

For more on Larcs and other forms of contraception visit the Family Planning Association website.

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