If I were asked to describe a condom what would my answer be? This is the question that came to my mind when I was first told that it is a condom awareness month.
Do you remember the high school question format? What is a Condom? (15 marks)
A Condom is a rubber-like structure that men wear before having sex to protect the parties involved from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. (Would be my answer)
As I answered that, then came the next question, are condoms only made for men? No they aren’t. So are there female condoms? Yes they do exist. Female condoms have been in existence since 20 years back but were never famous like the male ones.
Reports indicate that only 3 million female condoms are made each year compared to 1500 million males ones. Since I have never used female condoms, I’m left to ponder if I will ever use one, and how come I and my all time girlfriends have never at once talked about using them.
It’s time we found out what the female condom looks like and ways of using it so that we don’t depend entirely on men to prevent STD’s among others.
A female condom is a thin sheath or bag-like pouch and works on the same principle as the male one but its main characteristic is that it creates a barrier by lining the entire length of the vagina.
Advantages compared to the male condom:
It’s much thinner and is made of nitrile not latex like for the males but its greatest advantage is that it’s much more pleasurable than male ones because it’s thin and it has two rings which help improve stimulation.
Those who’ve used agree that it provides lubrication and makes sex less painful. It’s also very handy during menstruation because it traps the blood.
And that obvious that it’s great for those allergic to latex since it’s made out of nitrile.
Disadvantages:
Many users have complained that it’s hard to put on because it requires the woman to lie down, raise her legs and guide the condom into her vagina while using a lubricant. This makes it a big disadvantage because in “the heat of the moment” no one has time to first read instruction let alone do those steps.
Another downside is the cost because they are slightly more expensive compared to the male condoms. A pack of female condoms can buy upto three packs of the male condoms. This becomes a hindrance to those in the ‘saving club” or those who don’t have money to spend.
This leads to yet another question, Will women ever adopt the culture of using female condoms and enjoy using them like the way men use their condoms. If so, here are some tips on how best to use them.
- Guide it in as far as you can without twisting it
- When putting your partner’s penis into your vagina, make sure it doesn’t slip into the space between vagina and the condom
- Do not use it with a male condom
- If it slips out during intercourse, use a new one with better lubrication
As more women become more aware of it and decide to take their sexual health in their own hands, the female condom will gain popularity and become famous.
Here’s an illustration of how to put on a female condom
Ladies, let’s try out these condoms. I hope to write another blog explaining how my experience was.
Till then, I remain yours truly..
