Female condom

How does the female condom work?

The female condom works as a barrier. The female condom stops semen, vaginal fluid, or blood from being passed during vaginal or anal sex. This gives you some protection from STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, and HIV.

How effective is the female condom?

If 100 women used the female condom correctly over one year, approximately 95 of them will not get pregnant.

Your chances of getting pregnant are lower when you use the female condom correctly. You have to use it each time you have sex. You are less likely to get pregnant when you use the female condom with another kind of birth control, like spermicidal foam or jelly.

How do you use the female condom?

Check the expiry date on the wrapper before you use it. Keep female condoms in a dry place at room temperature. Don’t carry them in your wallet, your pocket, or the glove compartment. Be careful not to rip or tear the female condom. A female condom that has been ripped or torn should not be used. Do not use the female condom and a male condom at the same time. This may cause both the condoms to move out of place. Make sure you read an information sheet or are taught by a healthcare worker how to put on and take off the female condom before you use it. In order to be effective, the female condom should be used every time you have sex. You should use a new one with each sex act.

What are the advantages of the female condom?

• The female condom is the only form of STI/HIV protection that women can use. When women use the female condom, they don’t have to rely on their partners to provide STI protection, giving them more power and control over their sexual health. When used correctly, it may protect you from some sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

• You don’t need to see a healthcare worker to get it.

• You only use it when you need it.

• Women who have sex with women can use the female condom to protect themselves from STIs when sharing sex toys.

• You can use it with other kinds of birth control to lower your chances of getting pregnant.

• The female condom is made of plastic, not latex and therefore may be used by people with latex sensitivities or allergies.

• According to the company who makes them, the female condom is 40 per cent stronger than latex condoms and is six times less likely to leak.

• The female condom conforms to the inside of the vagina and does not feel tight on the penis.

• The female condom is thinner than latex condoms and warms up to body temperature right away.

• Oil-based lubricants can be used with the female condom without causing damage, unlike the male latex condom.

• The female condom can be inserted up to eight hours before intercourse, unlike the male condom which can only be used while the penis is erect. Therefore you do not have to interrupt sex to use the female condom.

• * The outer ring stays outside of your vagina, covering more area and giving you some added protection against some STIs.

What are the disadvantages of the female condom?

• It can be expensive and difficult to find (the female condom is more expensive than male condoms which are often free.)

• It can tear or come off during sex.

• The condom may make rustling sounds during sex.

• You have to be comfortable inserting it into your body.

• You have to be comfortable with the outer ring being visible outside your vagina.

• It may taste bad.

• You may need to practice inserting it before actually having sex.

• Where can you get the female condom?

• You can buy female condoms at some birth control clinics and drug stores. Some birth control clinics give free samples.