Female (Internal) Condom In Nigeria

A lot of people may never have heard of female condoms. Worst still is the name internal condoms. Female condoms and internal condoms mean the same thing. It is a condom worn by women. The name 'internal condom' is preferred by some to remove the segregation tone from it.

Did I say worn? Oh yes. It is not like the male version worn by the man on an erect ownis. Female condoms are inserted into a woman's vagina before sex. What does it do?

It serves the same purpose as that of the male condoms. It prevent unwanted pregnancy from unprotected sex and sexually transmitted infections (STI) The only difference is that it's design and user is different. It is a barrier type of contraceptive similar to male condoms.

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But it is not very popular. Most women especially men in Nigeria have not heard about it before. What could be wrong? To answer that, let us look at some facts about it.

Facts About Female Condom

The first commercial female condom was produced in the 90s. That was when the awareness of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was high. The idea was welcome in the western world. But some side effects and the media use of foul terms to describe it pushed a negative feedback that saw the fall of a promising product. Let us not even talk about the high price tag compared to male condoms.

Made of polyurethane, it cause some sounds during sex. This was enough reason for most women to dump it. The media started using some terms to describe it. It made women feel bad ordering for it in public places.

Due to the strict federal drug agency (FDA) on production procedure for female condoms, it made it difficult for companies to invest in the dwindling business. This further raised the cost of production for the few producing it. This turned out to be a burden on the end user. To make matters worse, some countries made it a prescription only product.

The narrative is changing in different spheres of female condoms. To start with, in 2018, the material used for the condom was changed to nitrile. This material is soft, flexible and makes less noise. It easily heats up to the woman's body temperature after insertion. It allowed for better lubrication and was suitable for all lubricants available in the market. Secondly, the media and others are pushing for the acceptance of female condoms. Thirdly, the FDA has dropped some of the strict conditions for producing these condoms making it easy for other companies to dive in. Further, most countries where it is prescription only have dropped the tag.

What Is A Female Condom

If this is your first time of hearing about female condoms, it is a pouch with two rings at both ends. One ring is meant to hang outside the vagina and cover the vulva. The ring anchors the condom in place and prevent it from being pushed inside the vagina during sex. The other end is inserted inside the vaginal up towards the cervix. The body has a floppy, clear elephant trunk look. It is about 15 cm long.

Female condom

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There are some new designs using the same principle. They are called panty and underwear internal condoms. The panty condom is a combination of lingerie or underwear and a condom. The condom is exposed only when it is time to use.

For the female condom, they can be worn for up to 8 hours before sex. They can be use again and again after sex within that 8 hours. But it should be discarded and another one worn if a man ejaculates inside. As for the panty or underwear type, they can be worn for a whole day and only expose the condom when it is time to use. All female condoms of different designs are one time use.

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Advantages

1. Protection against STI especially those that can be contracted from exposure to liquid in the skin like herpes and warts

2. Outer ring may stimulate the clitoris

3. Can be used up to four times except when there is sperm. This remove the inconvenience of rushing to the bathroom to clean up like in male condom

4. Prevent unwanted pregnancy up to 79 percent just 3 percent less than a male condom

5. Does not require erection or stimulation

Disadvantages

1. May cause irritation

2. Expensive

3. Make noise especially for the old version

4. May reduce sensitivity

5. Require practice

Procedure

First thing to do is check for the authenticity of the product including date of expiry. Hold the wrap and gently push the condom to one side. Tear open from top to bottom of the other part to expose the condom. Unroll the condom and find a comfortable position. Twist the inner end into the vagina. Use one finger to push it into the vagina as high up. Spread the outer ring around the vulva to ensure the penis does not slip into the vagina during sex.

Removing it is very simple. When there is no semen, just grab the outer ring and pull it out. If there is semen, hold the outer ring and twist. This prevents the semen from leaking into the vagina. Gently pull.

Today, there are two types of female condoms available in Nigeria. The FC1 is made with polyurethane plastic and a newer one (FC2) made of synthetic latex. Both are thin, soft, odourless and strong, explains Stella Akinso, UNFPA Adviser in Osun State, Nigeria.

Read Also: How to prevent HIV/AIDS

To create awareness on female condoms,  PATH, the national female condom coalition, the universal access to female condom joint programme and the center for health and gender equity launched global female condom day (GFCD) in 2012. They accepted September 16 of every year as the day for the celebration. So come September 16, we shall be seeing more from the group.

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