When will men stop demeaning women affairs? I read a nice piece on condom only to realize that the writer employed only one sentence in referring to female condom whereas he titled his work ‘Do you really want to use a Condom? People say this is a man’s world, but most of the problems caused by his actions are borne by women. There are instances of breakage of the male latex condom leading to many cases of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and pregnancies which end up hunting women.
Female Condom
The female condom is a thin, soft, loose-fitting polyurethane plastic pouch that lines the vagina. It has two flexible rings: an inner ring at the closed end, used to insert the device inside the vagina and to hold it in place, and an outer ring which remains outside the vagina and covers the external genitalia. Because the device is made from polyurethane, the female condom can be used with any type of lubricant without compromising the integrity of the device. This is advantageous in countries where personal, water-based lubricants are hard to find or non-existent.
Gynecologists have said that female condoms give more protection from STIs and unwanted pregnancies than male latex condom. This is because the material with which the female condom is made is stronger than latex, the material from which most male condoms are made. Describing how this condom is used would benefit both men and women.
How to use female condom
- Open the condom package carefully; gently tear at the notch in the corner with your fingers only. Do not use scissors, teeth, fingernails or a knife to open.
- Examine the condom. The female condom will have a larger ring (the “outer ring”) at the open end and a smaller ring (the “inner ring”) at closed end.
- Hold the condom at the closed end, grasp the flexible inner ring with the thumb and second or middle finger and squeeze it so its long and narrow.
- Get into a position that is comfortable for insertion
- Insert the inner ring gently into the vagina just far enough so it won’t fall out.
- Use the index finger inside the condom to push the inner ring up as far as it will go. Make sure the condom is not twisted and that the outer ring remains outside the vagina. The condom is now in place and ready to use
- Guide the penis carefully into the opening of the condom to be sure that it does not enter on the side, between the sheath and the vaginal wall
- Remove the female condom by grasping the outer ring and gently twisting it so the semen stays inside. Gently pull it out and throw it away.
Other advantages of female condom
- Female-controlled
- More comfortable to men, less decrease in sensation than with the male latex condom
- Offers greater protection (covers both internal and external genitalia)
- More convenient (can be inserted pre-coitus)
- Stronger (polyurethane is 40% stronger than latex).
Female condom is good and should be accepted just like the male condom.
