Sex, Feminism, Archives

Female Condoms: A Guide

QUESTION: Why are female condoms so much less effective than male condoms? Why haven’t they been made more efficient?

ANSWER: That’s a really great question! I hadn’t heard that before, and I am a champion of female condoms! I had to do a little investigation first, and here is what I found:

-Female condoms are about 75-90% effective, while male condoms are 98% effective. For various reasons this statistic can be true of female condoms because of human error, being comfortable putting it on, doing it right etc. Many factors can go into this percentage. Remember the only 100% effective birth control is one you are comfortable with and use regularly.

-Using this method can cause less sexual satisfaction. Friction, noise (apparently these things can make a lot of noise. However lubrication can help), lack of pressure on the clitoris, can cause the performance to not be satisfying to some partners.

– Do not use both a female condom and a male condom! Ever. Friction can cause rips and no one wants that!

– Female condoms can be placed up to 8 hours before intercourse. That’s is pretty nifty if you are looking for some action and want to be prepared before things really heat up.

As far as the quality of the condom, that was a little bit more difficult to find. I think it goes back to how the condom is being used and inserted. I did fine some information on how the female condom is less effective than the male condom, but only slightly. I think because there is more room for error, the female condom has worse pregnancy and STIs rates than the male condom.

I hope this information helps you! If you have a question, please do not hesitate to comment below or message me. I would love to answer your sex questions!

Sources:

-http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/416

-http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/birth-control-condoms?page=2

-http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex_relationships/facts/condoms.htm

-http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/female-condom-4223.htm

-http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/004002.htm

-http://bedsider.org/methods/female_condom#details_tab