KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – A condom for him and now a condom for her.

Just as there is a condom that can be worn by a man, there is also a condom that can be worn by a woman.

The female condom looks and works, in many ways, like the male condom. It is a lubricated sheath that is designed to be inserted in the vagina. It prevents mistimed pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by preventing semen from coming in contact with vaginal fluid.

No awkward moment

But there are also added benefits like nullifying those awkward moments of putting on the condom (Do you do it together? Can you look?) and even before that, negotiating its use (Um, did you bring protection?). The female condom can be worn up to 4 hours before actual intercourse, giving women control over contraceptive use.

Its size—it is a lot bigger than its male counterpart—makes it cumbersome and it takes a bit of practice to put it on, but men and women report that it truly fits all penis sizes.

“Men report liking the additional stimulation of the outer vaginal ring and women like the stimulation of the inner ring,” said Beatrijs Janssen, communications advisor of the Universal Access to the Female Condom Joint Programme (UAFC).  

Intimate distribution channels

UAFC works in pilot sites in Africa to advance awareness and push user acceptance of female condoms.

It is testing less traditional distribution channels. In Nigeria and Cameroon, the female condoms are sold in salons.

“Women visit their hairdressers at least once a week and spend probably a minimum two hours in the salon,” said Janssen.

The close relationship that is inevitably formed between a woman and her hairdresser makes the latter the perfect sales person for the intimate female product.

(See Beatrijs Janssen demonstrate how to put on the female condom here.)

With only 4 types currently available, the female condom does not have the fun and sophistication of colors, textures and flavors of its male predecessor, but that is mostly due to the tricky push and pull nature of demand and supply.

“The demand for the female condom is still low so the price is still quite high,” said Janssen, who shares that the female condom is about two to three times the price of the male condom.

UAFC hopes that increasing awareness and interest in the female condom will spark demand, stimulate production and drive down the cost; and give more women access to her very own love glove. – Rappler.com

Female condom image via Shutterstock