Comments on: Expanding the Female Condom Market http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/expanding-the-female-condom-market Daily dose of women's health news and media analysis Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:46:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Bonysox http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/expanding-the-female-condom-market/comment-page-1#comment-2857 Bonysox Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:14:57 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3545#comment-2857 I've tried various types of condoms and determined that nothing currently available in the US is a good option. I've encountered malfunctions with the standard male condom and with the Reality Female Condom anywhere from breakage to the thing getting stuck inside. We need a contraceptive that's easy to use and truly effective at preventing pregnancy & STDs. The WOW appears to have the best design option I've seen so far, despite the ring on the outside. I'd like to see manufacturers break away from latex and polyurethane. They should design something that isn't gender specific and has more chance of preventing STDs. The thing could ideally be worn by a woman or a man and cover more area that comes into contact during sex. Once something like that is readily available, then I think all the others would become obsolete. We can't truly promote safe sex with the means we currently have available. I’ve tried various types of condoms and determined that nothing currently available in the US is a good option. I’ve encountered malfunctions with the standard male condom and with the Reality Female Condom anywhere from breakage to the thing getting stuck inside. We need a contraceptive that’s easy to use and truly effective at preventing pregnancy & STDs. The WOW appears to have the best design option I’ve seen so far, despite the ring on the outside. I’d like to see manufacturers break away from latex and polyurethane. They should design something that isn’t gender specific and has more chance of preventing STDs. The thing could ideally be worn by a woman or a man and cover more area that comes into contact during sex. Once something like that is readily available, then I think all the others would become obsolete. We can’t truly promote safe sex with the means we currently have available.

]]> By: Audacia Ray http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/expanding-the-female-condom-market/comment-page-1#comment-941 Audacia Ray Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:57:55 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3545#comment-941 It's important to note that neither of the two female condoms in this post are going to be available in the US any time soon - they are still very much in prototype mode. The VA w.o.w. FC also apparently hasn't been doing too well in trials, while the PATH FC is making its way toward a debut in 2010. @mrs spock - the FC2, which is making its way to FDA approval in the US, has been designed to address the squeak factor, plus it is made out of a thinner material and should be easier to use. It still has the external ring though, and I don't think that's going to go away anytime soon. I don't know exactly what the dissolving material is on the PATH FC though. There are definitely things about the FC that are just not all that awesome, but there are lots of things about the male condom that aren't all that awesome either. Barriers for protection against pregnancy and infection are going to continue to be necessary however, and the FC offers a different option for women who have male partners who for a variety of reasons can't or won't wear a male condom. It’s important to note that neither of the two female condoms in this post are going to be available in the US any time soon – they are still very much in prototype mode. The VA w.o.w. FC also apparently hasn’t been doing too well in trials, while the PATH FC is making its way toward a debut in 2010.

@mrs spock – the FC2, which is making its way to FDA approval in the US, has been designed to address the squeak factor, plus it is made out of a thinner material and should be easier to use. It still has the external ring though, and I don’t think that’s going to go away anytime soon. I don’t know exactly what the dissolving material is on the PATH FC though.

There are definitely things about the FC that are just not all that awesome, but there are lots of things about the male condom that aren’t all that awesome either. Barriers for protection against pregnancy and infection are going to continue to be necessary however, and the FC offers a different option for women who have male partners who for a variety of reasons can’t or won’t wear a male condom.

]]> By: pixie http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/expanding-the-female-condom-market/comment-page-1#comment-939 pixie Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:19:35 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3545#comment-939 I would personally LOVE to see a female condom that would work, well. We have been having "birth control" issues around here for some time. There is something about everything we've tried (allergies, mainly, but other things as well that I'm not describing in detail on the internet LOL) that has made it completely impracticable. A FUNCTIONING fc might be worth the time :) I would personally LOVE to see a female condom that would work, well. We have been having “birth control” issues around here for some time. There is something about everything we’ve tried (allergies, mainly, but other things as well that I’m not describing in detail on the internet LOL) that has made it completely impracticable. A FUNCTIONING fc might be worth the time :)

]]> By: mrs spock http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/expanding-the-female-condom-market/comment-page-1#comment-936 mrs spock Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:43:04 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3545#comment-936 As someone who cannot use hormonal birth control for medical reasons, and has always used condoms, I can see plenty wrong with the female condom, and none of it has to do with female power issues or lack of marketing. The first FC plain sucked. It was big, unwieldy, had a ring doodad that hung outside, and squeaked like all get out. That thing went straight in the trash. The newer prototypes still appear to have a ring portion on the outside, or at least a large portion that hangs out- how annoying, at least to me. Some women, as well, may not, uh, enjoy having a spongey pillow absorbing a lot of the pressure on the cervix. And the one that has a dissolving bit on the applicator? I would be very leery of anything that dissolves in such a vascular mucus membrane like the vagina. What exactly is that, that is dissolving? I don't see anything on the links. We're perfectly happy with the old fashioned male condoms. Nothing here convinces me to try a different method. As someone who cannot use hormonal birth control for medical reasons, and has always used condoms, I can see plenty wrong with the female condom, and none of it has to do with female power issues or lack of marketing. The first FC plain sucked. It was big, unwieldy, had a ring doodad that hung outside, and squeaked like all get out. That thing went straight in the trash.

The newer prototypes still appear to have a ring portion on the outside, or at least a large portion that hangs out- how annoying, at least to me. Some women, as well, may not, uh, enjoy having a spongey pillow absorbing a lot of the pressure on the cervix. And the one that has a dissolving bit on the applicator? I would be very leery of anything that dissolves in such a vascular mucus membrane like the vagina. What exactly is that, that is dissolving? I don’t see anything on the links.

We’re perfectly happy with the old fashioned male condoms. Nothing here convinces me to try a different method.

]]> By: Jennifer Doughty http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/expanding-the-female-condom-market/comment-page-1#comment-932 Jennifer Doughty Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:07:32 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3545#comment-932 Great post and photos! Thanks for sharing this. We don't hear enough about the advocacy work being done around the FC in developing countries. Great post and photos! Thanks for sharing this. We don’t hear enough about the advocacy work being done around the FC in developing countries.

]]> By: Vicky http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/expanding-the-female-condom-market/comment-page-1#comment-931 Vicky Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:36:46 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3545#comment-931 The female condom is like the electric car. It makes perfect sense, the technology is ready to go, but the powers-that-be refuse to market it. Why oil companies would resist the electric car is clear, though, while the reasons for resisting the female condom are more complex. Clearly, it is caught up in assumptions about female sexuality and power -- but that would never be stated so bluntly. The female condom is like the electric car. It makes perfect sense, the technology is ready to go, but the powers-that-be refuse to market it. Why oil companies would resist the electric car is clear, though, while the reasons for resisting the female condom are more complex. Clearly, it is caught up in assumptions about female sexuality and power — but that would never be stated so bluntly.

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