Like them, love them, or absolutely hate them here's the deal with these not often seen/used contraceptive devices.
I've gotten a lot of questions about female condoms over the years as they are my preferred method of barrier protection when engaging in penetrative intercourse. I am not opposed to regular male condoms at all! Please ask! I have male condoms on hand at all times.
The reason I prefer female condoms is because I am the wearer and it makes me feel more in control of the action. I use a barrier method for all activities. Stealthing is a VERY REAL thing that happens to all women and it is easier to do if a guy is the condom wearer. In a darkened room doing tantric-like positions, it is easy to slip a male condom off and a lady is not aware. I do not offer "bare" experiences and just in case anyone is wondering: Stealthing is sexual assault!
According to LoveIS [1], stealthing is when a partner secretly removes a condom during sex without the other person’s consent.
Far too many women report being stealthed, and it is a common discussion in alpha male forums and Reddit threads (of which I will not link because I do not want to give such content additional clicks). Why oh why, Guys, would you want to take the condom off WITHOUT your partner's consent and penetrate them? Why have bare intercourse especially with someone you (1) do not know well and are not monogamous with, or (2) an adult companion which I feel deserves no explanation?
So now to WHAT a female condoms is and how to use one.
"A tubular sheath with rings on both ends that is female initiated and provides dual protection from bodily fluids after being inserted vaginally or anally", as described by the UN [2]. In fact, it is thought that the first reported condom use was a similar device to the modern female condom the first use of a condom was that of King Minos of Crete. employed by the wife of King Minos of Crete, Pasiphae, who inserted a goat's bladder into the vagina so that King Minos would not be able to harm her as his semen was said to contain "scorpions and serpents" that killed his mistresses[3]. Imagine the king revealing his genitals: Pustules, ulcerations, and perhaps a bit weepy and as the queen, you're trying to figure out how to protect yourself from it during you "queenly duties".
The condom--formerly known as the "Femidom"--was originally conceived by Lasse Hessel—a Danish inventor and public health official who patented a number of health-related creations. He developed it after hearing about the lack of options available to women trying to avoid HIV/AIDS. After its invention, it launched in Europe in 1990 and the patent was purchased by Wisconsin Pharmacals in the late 1980’s and was later approved by the FDA for sale in the United States in 1993. Today, its production is sponsored by World Health Organization and the United Nations. In 2000, the success of the Femidom was recognized with the Queen's Awards for Enterprise in the international trade category [4,5].
But here in the U.S., the female condom was seen as a joke when first released. As quoted from Simple Health: "Journalists compared the female condom to a windsock, jellyfish, colostomy bag, and more. 30-50% of women had difficulty inserting them, and they tended to make loud rustling noises during sex. Despite Wisconsin Pharmacal’s six years of work to bring Hessel’s original design to market, despite the advertising campaigns and the excitement of public health officials, the female condom just didn’t sell. Mary Ann Leeper, a Wisconsin Pharmacal executive at the time of the female condom’s launch, said “We did all the checklist things that you’re supposed to do,” in a 2014 interview with Mosaic. “And we fell flat on our face.”[4]
This brings me back to the fact that when I mention that I am wearing one, I am often greeted with suspicion and yes...admittedly they do look a bit odd. However, in my personal opinion nothing beats the comfort and stress reduction for both myself and my partners. What I found very interesting from my research for this post is that the lack of awareness around this device is due to a historical view that feminist support is often a drawback for a device directed at women [6] as the word "feminism" has become (wrongly so) synonymous with "man hating" which is not correct [7]. The ideology advocates for equal treatment and rights for BOTH sexes and all genders. Naturally, there are bastardized permutations but the foundation remains the same.
Currently, due to living through historical events in succession, the FC2 website no longer has them for sell to individuals but a google search does yield other online stores whereby they may be purchased. They are VERY pricey with sales on Ebay topping $300 for a four boxes. Wild!
Regardless of what you choose to use to protect yourself, know that female condoms are a viable option and allow for a sense of female control and enhances the ability to fully relax and to engage more fully and presently in partner intimacy for (some) women. The covered penis has become normalized, and I am grateful for that. Caring about your own and the sexual health of your partners IS SEXY for sure, but don't rule out female condoms.
You might just be surprised!
Besos,
Olivia Corvisart
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"What is stealthing?" (website: Love is Respect) https://www.loveisrespect.org/resources/what-is-stealthing/
"Female condom", (website: United Nations Population Fund) https://www.unfpa.org/resources/female-condom
"The story of the condom" (review article: Indian Journal of Urology) https://www.indianjurol.com/article.asp?issn=0970-1591;year=2013;volume=29;issue=1;spage=12;epage=15;aulast=Khan#ref1
"What is a female condom?" (website: Simple health) https://www.simplehealth.com/blog/story-of-the-female-condom
"The pill and the women's liberation movement" (website: PBS) https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pill-and-womens-liberation-movement/
"Feminism" (wiki) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism