What is the Female Condom?

The female condom (often known as the 'Femidom' or by the name 'Reality') is a polyurethane sheath or pouch about 15 cm in length, which is worn by a woman during sex. It entirely lines the vagina and it helps to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

At each end of the condom there is a flexible ring. At the closed end of the sheath the flexible ring is inserted into the vagina to hold the female condom in place. At the other open end of the sheath the ring stays outside the vulva at the entrance to the vagina. This ring acts as a guide during penetration and it also stops the sheath bunching up inside the vagina.

not contain spermicidal and it should not be used at the same time as a latex male condom. There is silicone-based lubricant on the inside of the condom, but additional lubrication can be used. The condom does 

The female condom first became available in 1992. Since then more than 18 million have been sold around the world. The female condom is marketed under the name Reality in the United States, and Femidom in the United Kingdom.

How do you Use the Female Condom?

Remove the condom from its package and rub the outside of the pouch together to be sure the lubrication is evenly spread within it. Make sure the inner ring is at the bottom-closed end of the pouch, and hold the pouch with the open end hanging down.

Squeeze the inner ring with thumb and middle finger, and then insert the inner ring and pouch into the vaginal opening and with the index finger push the inner ring and pouch right the way up into the vagina. (Because the female condom is lubricated it is slippery, so you need to do this slowly and carefully.) Make sure the condom is inserted straight, and is not twisted inside the vagina. The outer ring and about an inch of the pouch will now lie outside the body. The penis should be guided into the condom in order to ensure that the penis does not slip into the vagina outside the condom.

If the condom slips during intercourse, or if it enters the vagina, then you should stop immediately and take the female condom out. Then insert a new one and add extra lubricant to the opening of the pouch or on the penis.

After intercourse, squeeze and twist the outer ring gently and then pull the condom out keeping the sperm inside. Then discard it as you would a male condom. The female condom should not be reused.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of the Female Condom

The advantages of the female condom include the fact that it is the only contraceptive for women that also provides protection against HIV. There are also no side effects and people who have a latex sensitivity can use it.

The disadvantages include the fact that it is more expensive than the male condom. The female condom can also be noisy and there may be a slight reduction in sensitivity. Also, the outer ring may need to be held in place to prevent the condom from slipping into the vagina.

UNAIDS and the Female Condom

UNAIDS has chosen to support the use of the female condom, particularly in the developing world, as a practical means of protecting women from STDs and HIV/AIDS. As a result of the UNAIDS initiative, in excess of 4 million female condoms have been sold in 16 countries in the developing world, including South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Study Proved Effectiveness

UNAIDS has also supported a study of sex workers in Thailand which compared female and male condom use. This study showed that, in the group of women who were given the choice of using either male or female condoms, the average incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) decreased by 34% and the number of unprotected sex acts decreased by 25% compared to the group of women who had only the choice of using male condoms.