All the Single People, Put a Ring on It

Last month, the ChicagoFemale Condom Campaign got some press for its new initiative to promoteawareness of the redesigned female condom (known as the FC2). The campaign,called "Put A Ring On It", touts the benefits of the FC2, which is worninternally in the vagina or anus and held in place by two ringshence the nameof the campaign. The FC2 is great for people with latex allergies (it's made ofnitrile, a kind of rubber), couples for whom male condoms are uncomfortable orbreak a lot, and for promoting intimacynitrile transmits body heat nicely, andthe insertive partner doesn't have to withdraw immediately after ejaculationthe way he has to with a male condom. In addition, it can be inserted severalhours ahead of time and left in place, so if you want to have some spontaneoussex in the restaurant bathroom after your dinner date, you are prepared.

I remember when thefemale condom was first introduced more than 15 years ago as the only STIprevention method controlled by the receptive sex partner, who is generallymore vulnerable to contracting STIs. Until then, the only way of reducing STItransmission risk was to use male external condoms, and if a man refused to usethem or was unable to maintain an erection while using them, there was no otheroption. So, the original female condom, which was called Reality, was met withgreat excitement by the sexuality education community.

Interestingly, thefemale condom failed to catch on in the United States. Even though I'vebeen teaching people about this device for the last decade, I still seem tocome up against the same general lack of awareness about them that I did whenthey were first made available. Most people I talk to now have heard of femalecondoms, but have never seen one, let alone used one. This is often chalked upto the fact that FCs were more expensive than male/external condoms and thatthey made noise during sexsince they were constructed of loose-fittingpolyurethane rather than tight-fitting latex like most male condoms, there isthe potential for them to shift around during sex and make rustling orsqueaking noises.

The redesigned FC2 isboth less expensive and made of nitrile, which is a softer, more flexiblematerial that is less likely to make noise during sex. The makers of the FC(who are based in Chicago,by the way) heard users' concerns and took steps to correct them. I'm sad thatalong the way they changed the name from the gender-neutral "Reality"to "Female Condom," since the condom can be used by men for anal sex.Many sex educators prefer using the terms "external condom" and"internal condom" rather than male or female condoms, and I wish thatthey had chosen some form of "internal condom" as the product'sofficial name.

All that aside, though,I think the biggest barrier to widespread use of the new FC2 is itsunfamiliarity. When showing it to people 10 years ago, I used to say,"Yes, this seems unusual now, but so did male condoms 40 years ago, beforethey were widely promoted for HIV prevention. Once more people start using thefemale condom, then it won't be so difficult to talk about with new sexpartners." I was so confident that by 2010 the FC would at least be aswidely understood, if not as widely used, as the male condom. Now, we seem tobe caught in a weird loop: It's hard to find FCs, so people aren't aware ofthem, and since they aren't in demand, fewer stores stock them, making themhard to find.

Ironically, now that thecheaper, better FC2 has been introduced, they're even more difficult to find. Ihad to switch condom distributors at the Tool Shed in order to be able to carrythem there. The drugstore in my neighborhood doesn't stock them, and when Iasked about them, the staff didn't know if and when they would have them. Atthe Chicago-area college health clinic where I work, our pharmacy declined toparticipate in the Chicago Female Condom Campaign's bulk purchase of FC2s,saying that there wasn't enough demand from students.

However, our local Planned Parenthoodclinics in Milwaukeedo carry the FC2s, and you can buy them online at Condomania. If you ever get down to Chicago, take advantageof the free FC2s that are available at participating "Put a Ring onIt" sites. If you’d like to take a look at one before purchasing, stop bythe Tool Shed, and we will be happy to explain how they work. I also urge youto ask for them (repeatedly!) at your local drugstore or other place where youbuy safer sex products to help create this elusive "demand" that isso important to retailers. And talk to your friends and partners about thisproduct. Having more than one option for STI prevention is important, and onlythrough open dialogue can we make the unfamiliar acceptable.

WantLaura to answer your questions in SEXpress? Send them to laura@shepex.com. Not all questions received will beanswered in the column, and Laura cannot provide personal answers to questionsthat do not appear here. Questions sent to this address may be reproduced inthis column, both in print and online, and may be edited for clarity andcontent.

LauraAnne Stuart has a master’s degree in public health and has worked as asexuality educator for more than a decade. She owns the Tool Shed, an erotic boutique on Milwaukee’s East Side.