As the world marked the third annual Global Female Condom
Day last year on September 16, 2014, more facts emerged as to why the female condom is
yet to gain popularity comparable to the long existing male condom.
With the theme “Dance4Demand” as coined by the Global Female
Condom Coalition, the day was marked by dancing to call for and creation of
awareness for the demand of female condoms.
To date, the global distribution of female condoms is still
far less than that of male condoms as the former remains a less popular, with
only 13 percent of persons having heard of the female condom, and much fewer
having ever used one.
Since it was approved by the FDA in 1993, the female condom
has slowly grown in popularity but continues to lag behind its male version in
terms of acceptance.
A variation of the male condom, the female condom has many
of the same attributes and advantages the male condom is famous for.
Essentially, female condoms are sheaths, or linings that fit
loosely inside a woman’s vagina made of thin, transparent, soft plastic. They
work by forming a barrier that keeps sperm out to prevent pregnancy. They also
keep infections from infecting one or the other partner.
They have flexible rings at both ends. One ring at the
closed end helps to insert the condom. The ring at the open end holds part of
the condom outside the vagina. The condom is lubricated on the inside and on
the outside.
Made for women
According to findings, although female condoms play a vital
role in improving reproductive health, and are the only method designed to
offer woman dual protection from pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections,
the average woman still prefers the far more simplistic but relatively more
efficacious male condom.
Although simple to use, a number of women find the female
condom irritating to insert and bothersome during sex. But experts say through
practice and experience, such concerns soon disappear.
Several women told Health & Living that male
condoms give superioir sensation of pleasure than female condoms, in addition
to enabling a more tension-free intercourse.
On the average, women describe female condom as “intrusive”
and “difficult to use”, arguing that correct use needs to be learned before
use. ”
You need to put it on long before intercourse, and that
could be a big turn-off,” a young woman related. Others said the female condom
is noisy, messy, more expensive and less convenient to use than the male
condom.
But in its favour, the experts say if correctly used during
every act of sexual intercourse, in the course of a year, the female condom
could be up to 95 percent effective in preventing pregnancy and in reducing the
risk of sexually transmitted infections.
Preference
Nevertheless, quite a number of women (and men) prefer male
condoms to female condoms, even though the female condom is more practical and
empowering for the woman. With the female condom, women can initiate their use,
they can be inserted ahead of time and so do not interrupt sexual intercourse,
and the outer ring provides added sexual stimulation for some women.
Additionally, female condoms have a soft moist texture that
feels more natural than male latex condoms. For men, unlike male condoms, they
are not constricting, they do not dull the sensation of sex, and they do not
have to be removed immediately after ejaculation.
Like the male condom, the female condom is very effective
when used correctly and consistently. Experts say female condoms are 79 to 95
percent effective in preventing pregnancy, only slightly less effective than
male condoms.
On the whole, findings reveal that the female condom has
similar benefits as the male condom, including convenience, affordability, STD
protection, and lack of side effects. One potential benefit of the female
condom compared to the male version is that women can take independent, more
active responsibility in preventing pregnancy.
