I want to preface this article with the statement that I would never, ever want to discourage a person from exploring their birth control options. Each woman has different needs, preferences, experiences and body types, meaning that nobody can know better than her what method is best. Contraceptive devices are truly meant to put a woman in control of her body and reproduction (hence the term birth control!), so whatever empowers you the most, I support and encourage!
That being said, I have very negative feelings towards female condoms. These are some reasons why:
1. They are less effective than male condoms.
According to Planned Parenthood’s information on birth control, five out of every 100 women who use the female condom correctly every time become pregnant each year. (Compared to one out of 100 who get pregnant using a male condom correctly.) Even more frighteningly, if not used correctly every time there is a one in five chance of becoming pregnant! This ridiculously high rate of birth control failure is comparable only to use of the withdrawal method.
2. They are difficult and complicated to insert.
Inserting a female condom is similar to putting in a NuvaRing or a menstrual cup. Shaped like a pouch with a flexible plastic ring at each end, the condom packet recommends that you squat, put a leg up on the toilet or find a position that will allow you to easily push the sealed end of the pouch into your vagina until it reaches your cervix, leaving the open end of the condom hanging about an inch outside of your body. Unless you have practiced this action a couple times and have a good sense of the product’s placement and your own anatomy, it can take quite a long time.
3. They can be messy.
After ejaculation, the condom must be removed very carefully in order to prevent spilling the semen back inside the vagina, risking pregnancy and exposure to sexually transmitted infections. A woman must twist the ring of the condom still hanging outside her body, similar to the way you might twist a garbage bag, and then gently pull it from her body for disposal. This is more dangerous than male condoms, which – though they also have the potential to spill - can be removed from the proximity of the vagina more easily.
4. They are more expensive than male condoms.
Female condoms cost between $2 and $4 each! That is about four times as expensive as male condoms, but 20 percent less effective at preventing pregnancy.
5. They can also be noisy.
Imagine the sound of wind-pants, or the crinkling of a plastic bag when you rub your hand over it. Now imagine that sound while you are having sex.
Again, I do not want to discourage experimentation, but I suggest caution to all the adventurous ladies interested in this method of birth control. Female condoms are less effective, more expensive, more difficult to use and much more of a mood-killer than male condoms. If you are choosing this form of protection, remember to back it up with a second form of birth control (a hormonal contraceptive or spermicide), and practice insertion before you use it during intercourse. I also recommend watching Planned Parenthood’s video on correct usage: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/female-condom-4223.htm
As always, I would love to hear your experiences with and opinion on female condoms. Feel free to prove me wrong!