Female Condom

A female condom is a thin plastic sheath that can be inserted deep into the vagina before intercourse to block sperm from meeting the egg. Make sure to follow the directions on the package to insert the female condom and also to remove the female condom.

How effective are female condoms?

The female condom is 79%-95% effective. The female condom is good protection against sexually transmitted diseases, inlcuding HIV. Use it or the latex condom with ALL other methods for protection against infection of sexually transmitted diseases!

PROS:

• Easy to buy in drugstores, supermarkets, etc
• Do not need medical prescription
• Insertion may be part of foreplay
• An erection is not necessary to keep the female condom in place
• Female condoms can be used by people who are allergic to latex or spermicide

CONS:

• Female condoms can be noisy and can irritate the vagina or penis
• The outer ring of the female condom can slip into the vagina during intercourse
• It can be difficult to insert the female condom
• It's more expensive than the male condom
• In some countries it's not available

Adapted from http://www.plannedparenthood.org/bc/contrachoices.htm