Questions and Answers About Female Condoms

1.   Is the female condom difficult to use?

No, but it does require practice and patience. See Tips for New Users.

2.   Can female condoms effectively prevent both pregnancy and STIs, including HIV?

Yes. Female condoms offer dual protection, against both pregnancy and STIs, including HIV, if used consistently and correctly. Many people, however, do not use condoms every time they have sex, or do not use them correctly. This reduces protection from both pregnancy and STIs.

3.   Can a female condom and a male condom be used at the same time?

No. Male and female condoms should not be used together. This can cause friction that may lead to slipping or tearing of the condoms.

4.   What is the best way to make sure the penis goes into the condom and not outside the condom?

To avoid incorrect use, the man should carefully guide his penis and place the tip inside the outer ring of the condom. If the penis goes between the wall of the vagina and the condom, the man should withdraw and try again.

5.   Can the female condom be used more than once?

Reuse of the female condom is not recommended. Because not enough female condoms are available in some areas, however, and some clients reuse them, the World Health Organization has developed instructions for disinfecting and washing female condoms for reuse. The instructions are being tested for safety and effectiveness. Some programs may introduce instructions for reuse if female condom availability is limited.

6.   Can the female condom be used while a woman is having her monthly bleeding?

Women can use the female condom during their monthly bleeding. The female condom cannot be used at the same time as a tampon, however. The tampon must be removed before inserting a female condom.

7.   Isn't the female condom too big to be comfortable?

No. Female condoms are the same length as male condoms, but wider. They are very flexible and fit to the shape of the vagina. Female condoms have been carefully designed and tested to fit any woman, whatever the size of her vagina, and any man, whatever the size of his penis.

8.   Can a female condom get lost inside a woman's body?

No. The female condom remains in a woman's vagina until she takes it out. It cannot go past a woman's cervix and into the womb (uterus) because it is too large for that.

9.   Can the female condom be used in different sexual positions?

Yes. The female condom can be used in any sexual position.

10.  Why are female condoms more expensive than male condoms?

Purchased in bulk in 2006, female condoms cost US $0.66 apiece, while male condoms cost only US $0.03 apiece. This is because polyurethane material costs more than latex and because far fewer female condoms are produced. To help reduce cost, a latex female condom has been developed. Purchased in bulk, this new latex female condom can cost as little as US $0.22 per condom. It is expected that programs will buy more of these latex female condoms and distribute them more widely once they are available.

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