Are Female Condoms Safe And Effective?

Posted by rajaram patil on February 21st, 2020

With the discourse around female contraceptive methods steadily increasing, there is a lot of interest around female condoms. These condoms for women are made from soft latex or thin synthetic latex and they are meant to be worn inside the vagina to prevent semen from getting inside the womb.

Most often have a question regarding how much condoms are safe and are they effective or not? Well, when used correctly, they are about 95% effective in preventing pregnancies and are a good measure against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. This condom has to be placed inside the vagina before there is any contact with the penis. It is also advisable to buy female condoms which as the CE Mark or the BSI Kitemark because it means they have been tested for high safety standards.

How to use condoms to prevent pregnancy?

These condoms work as a kind of barrier inside the vagina, preventing the sperm from getting in contact with the egg. It is important to be gentle with these condoms so as not to cause any rupture. Opening the packet with teeth is not permissible. The smaller ring at the closed end has to be squeezed to put it inside the vagina. The large ring at the open end should fully cover the area around the opening of the vagina. During insertion it is important to take care that the penis enters the condom and not the space between the condom and the vagina walls, removing the condom from place. The condom should be gently pulled out immediately after the act, and properly disposed. It should not be flushed down the toilet.

There can be instances when the condom gets pushed too deep inside the vagina but one can easily remove it by themselves if this happens. However, it is important to remember that these condoms are not reusable and a fresh one should be used each time one has sex. Although the female condoms are adequately lubricated, one may use additional lubricant if they want to.

The best condoms for women can be used by women of any age, especially after having a baby, or going through a miscarriage or abortion or due to any other medical condition due to which contraceptive tablets might not be allowed. Moreover, this form of contraception only has to be used when one is having sex, unlike taking tablets which often have to be taken in a cycle. There are also no side effects of using these condoms as they are external, just that they have to be inserted and exerted with care.