How Female Condoms Work

Description

A female condom is worn inside of a woman's vagina. It can also be worn by either men or women inside the anus for protection during anal sex. Female condoms are made out of either latex or polyurethane and nitrile. The purpose of the female condom is to prevent pregnancy and to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, estimates that female condoms are "between 75 percent and 82 percent effective" at preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The most common causes for female condom failure are incorrect insertion, incorrect removal, a tear in the condom and incorrect use of the condom that results in genital contact.

How it Works

The body of the female condom is a sheath that is shaped like a tube. One end of the condom is inserted inside of the vagina and the other end of the condom sits outside of the vagina. The end that sits inside the vagina has no opening. The purpose of the closed end is to capture ejaculate inside of the condom to prevent it from entering the cervix. A flexible ring holds the closed off end of the condom in place inside of the vagina. The end of the female condom that sits outside of the vagina is open to allow a penis to be inserted inside of the sheath. The open end of the condom contains a flexible ring, which holds the shape of the condom so that it covers the external vaginal area.

How to Use

Inserting the female condom may take a little practice at first. To insert the condom, the closed end of the ring is squeezed together between the thumb and forefinger to make insertion easier. The squeezed ring is inserted far enough inside of the vagina so that it will not fall out, before the thumb and forefinger release the ring. An index finger is then placed inside the sheath of the condom and pushes the condom farther into the vagina so that the closed end rests just underneath the cervix. About 1 inch of the female condom is left outside of the vagina. Once the condom is in place, the finger is removed and the outer ring is turned if necessary to untwist the condom. At the beginning of intercourse, one of the sex partners uses their hand to manually guide the penis inside of the condom sheath.

When sexual intercourse is completed, the condom needs to be removed. To remove the female condom, the flexible ring on the open end of the condom is squeezed together between the thumb and index finger. The open end of the condom is then twisted to close off the opening to prevent ejaculate from leaking out. The condom is then gently pulled out of the vagina and disposed of in a trash receptacle.

A spermicide can be applied to the outside of the closed end of the female condom for extra protection against pregnancy.

Insertion and removal instructions for anal use are the same as they are for vaginal use.

Advantages

The female condom protects the external genital areas, which is beneficial for STD prevention. The external protection also protects both sexual partners during oral vaginal sex.

The female condom can be inserted into the vagina up to eight hours prior to sexual intercourse.

Female condoms made out of polyurethane and nitrile are useful for people who have latex allergies.

Disadvantages

The female condom is much more difficult to use than a male condom. Some women find the female condom uncomfortable once it is inserted.

Some women dislike the fact that part of the female condom sits outside of the vagina because they think it looks weird.

The female condom can make squeaky noises during sexual intercourse. Using a lubricant can reduce or eliminate the squeaky noises.