Condom

:This article is about the contraceptive device. For the town in France, see Condom, France.

Female condoms

Recently "female condoms" or "femidoms" (not to be confused with femdoms) have become available. They are larger than male condoms and have a stiffened ring-shaped opening, and are designed to be inserted into the vagina. The female condom also contains an inner ring which keeps the condom in place inside the vagina - inserting the female condom requires squeezing this ring. Sales of these have been disappointing in developed countries, though increasingly developing countries are using them to complement already existing family planning and HIV/AIDS programming. Probable causes for poor sales are that inserting the female condom is a skill that has to be learned and that female condoms can be significantly more expensive than male condoms (upwards of 2 or 3 times the cost). Also, reported "rustling" sounds during intercourse turn off some potential users, as does the visibility of the outer ring which remains outside the vagina. This type of condom is made from polyurethane, though newer iterations are made from nitrile.

Related Topics:
Femdom - Vagina - Polyurethane - Nitrile

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These condoms have the advantage of being compatible with oil-based lubricants as they are not made of latex. The external genitals of the wearer and the base of the penis of the inserting partner are more protected than when the male condom is used. Inserting a female condom does not require male erection. (Boston Women's Healthbook Collective, 2005: 336-337)

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The instructions for use of female condoms are of necessity different from those of male condoms, since they are inserted rather than worn, and designed to drape around the penis, rather than to fit tightly over it. They are as follows:

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• The condom should be removed carefully from the packaging;
• The small inner ring should be squeezed closed;
• The inner ring should be pushed into the vagina, the outer ring remaining outside;
• The penis should be guided through the outer ring to ensure that it is not pushed aside.
• Before removing the condom, the outer ring should be squeezed and twisted (while the wearer is still lying down, if applicable) to ensure that semen does not leak out of the pouch. Pull to remove the condom.
• Any "rustling" can be counteracted by applying extra lubricant to the inside of the condom; this is also the course of action to take if the outer ring is pulled into the vagina during intercourse. (Boston Women's Health Book Collective, 2005: 337-338)

A new, updated female condom is being developed by PATH, a medical technologies NGO, that would be easier to put in as well as less awkward to use. http://www.path.org/projects/womans_condom.php A second iteration of the original female condom is also in development by the Female Health Company that would be cheaper and easier to use.http://www.femalehealth.com/pdf/FHCAR2004.pdf

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