This girl loves the female condom!

in praise of the female condom

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 by Ellen Friedrichs

Sometimes, when I hang out with my friend Alice, I like to remind her that while many people strike up friendships over class projects or shared interests, ours emerged as a result of female condoms.

It was fairly early in my sex ed career and I was singing the praises of the female condom to our mutual friend Marie. I worked at a college health center so I had a few extras and was trying to encourage people to try one. Marie didn’t seem interested. But she mentioned that her friend Alice, a girl with a notoriously condom-phobic boyfriend, might be.

The next thing I knew, I had a message from Alice asking if I wanted to meet for coffee. Oh, and could I bring along a female condom or two? It wasn’t as weird as the time an ex’s buddy emailed me a picture of a mysterious growth he had and asked for a diagnosis, but it was close. In the end, however, the condom/coffee date went well. I liked Alice and she liked the condoms.

I wasn’t surprised since the female condom has a lot going for it. Here are a few examples:

• Because it’s worn in the vagina, it’s good for guys who find condoms uncomfortable.
• You don’t need an erection to use it, so it’s great for guys who lose theirs when they break out the latex.
• The female condom is made of polyurethane, so it can be used by anyone with a latex allergy.
• It gives girls more control over protection.
• It can be put in before sex, so you don’t have to interrupt what you are doing.
• Like male condoms, if offers protection from pregnancy and infections.

The female condom isn’t for everyone. It’s more expensive than male condoms, and it can be a lot harder to find in your local drug store. Plus, if you aren’t into putting something in your vagina, then this method probably isn’t ideal. But if male condoms aren’t working out, then you should definitely consider this variety.

If you’re still not convinced, you can always see if my friend Alice is free for coffee. She’s been using female condoms for a few years now and might have some things to say on the subject…

Have you ever used a female condom? What did you think about it?

Read more: http://www.gurl.com/2008/01/29/in-praise-of-the-female-condom/#ixzz2OFKIFekJ