There are so many birth control options these days that the mind boggles. There are various kinds of injections and patches and a plethora of pills. And of course, we also have the option of ensuring a man uses a condom.
The only problem here is that some men won’t use condoms (in my opinion, that’s enough to refuse sex with a man, but in the real world, that doesn’t happen.) They refuse because they are allergic to latex and don’t like other kinds, they refuse because they say they can’t feel anything and they refuse (get ready to laugh) because they claim they are "too big" to wear one. The second part of this problem is that all the other birth control options that work extremely well when used correctly will protect from pregnancy but do nothing to counter sexually-transmitted diseases and infections.
So what’s a woman to do?
She can make a great choice and use the female condom. Sounds weird? A condom thingy that is put in and up the vagina, instead of a condom placed over the penis? It’s no more weird then the male condom seemed when it was first used.
This is how it’s used: The female condom looks similar to a male condom but has a ring on each end. It is inserted by hand, with one ring inside and the other on the outside. Sex can begin as usual.
Why some women don’t like the idea: They find it hard to put it, and/or it’s awkward to do it in front of a partner. It can move around a bit. It’s expensive--a pack of three is about $6, and a pack of 10 male condoms runs about $5.
Why some women do like it: It takes just a minute to insert once a person gets used to it and at about $1.75 per condom, it’s a lot less expensive than raising a child for 18 years or treatments for an STD/STI. It also puts the power back in women’s hands when it comes to sex and the protection of their own bodies.
Besides, if we’re prepared to get naked, have all kinds of sex in all kinds of positions, why would it be awkward to put a condom in? This seems a little odd to some.
So why hasn’t the female condom caught on? Some women genuinely prefer the male condom. Some stick with what they know; bringing in new products makes people nervous and many women fear a kind of protection they are unfamiliar with. Many more are not being educated about the female condom and their OB/GYNs may not be talking about it either.
More advertising is needed for this method of protection and it needs to be known as a mainstream method of birth control and not some kind of "alternative". There is nothing alternative about the female condom and standardizing it as a reliable method should be part and parcel of every doctor’s office. With regard to cost--like anything, the more sold, the lower the price.
Pass the word on female condoms. Talk to your doctor. It’s worth a lifesaving shot, and puts the "control" in birth control right in the palm of a woman’s hand.
For more on the female condom and how to use it properly, click here: http://www.ringonit.org/index.php
Tell Us - What do you think about female condoms?