Key websites

Current debates

The female condom is the only new prevention technology invented and approved since the advent of the HIV and AIDS epidemic and the sole female initiated protective method currently available. While microbicides also offer the possibility of a female initiated protective method, they are currently being developed and are not yet available to use.

The addition of the female condom to a country's contraceptive mix is not intended to replace the male condom but to increase the number of protected sex acts. That need becomes even more critical when women are not in a position to negotiate the use of a male condom due to personal and cultural constraints. With HIV prevalence continuing to rise and women increasingly shouldering the burden of HIV and AIDS, the need for female initiated prevention methods cannot be over-emphasised.

Acceptability of the female condom among street based commercial sex workers (csw) in Colombo: ( Female Health Company , 2002); This study, produced by the Community Development Service, examines the acceptability of the female condom among commercial sex workers (CSWs) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The study was based on the experie...
Donor support for contraceptives and condoms for STI/HIV prevention: ( United Nations Population Fund , 2001); This report highlights trends in donor support for contraceptives and condoms since 1990 and the gap between estimated needs and actual donor support. The estimated condom requirements for STI/HIV pre...
Introducing …the female condom: what is the most appropriate approach?: ( Joanna Busza / id21 Development Research Reporting Service , 2003); The female condom reduces the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, and can empower women in negotiations with sexual partners. But it must be presented to them in the right w...
The female condom and HIV/AIDS: ( Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS , 1997); This brief Point of View publication from UNAIDS – part of the Best Practice series – provides a brief discussion of the key issues relating to the female condom and AIDS. It begins by providing a st...
The future of the female condom: ( S. Hoffman; J. Mantell; T. Exner; Z. Stein / Alan Guttmacher Institute , 2004); Recommended reading; Published by the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI), this article focuses on the female condom, considering its usage and effectiveness to date and its prospects for the future. Evidence is provided whi...
Female condom: the Indian experience: ( Female Health Company , 2004); This study, commissioned by the Female Health Foundation and the Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust, aims to assess the acceptability and feasibility of female condoms among users and non...
Testing the market for the female condom in Zambia: ( Sohail Agha / id21 Development Research Reporting Service , 2002); The female condom could reduce the spread of HIV by increasing the prevention options available to sexually active adults. Marketing of the female condom at subsidised prices began in Lusaka, Zambia, ...
Cost-effectiveness of HIV prevention in developing countries: ( E. Marseille; S. Morin; C. Collins; T. Summers; T. Coates; J. Kahn / HIV Insite , 2002); This paper argues that HIV prevention interventions in developing countries can reduce the incidence of HIV infection and sometimes save financial resources in the process. It also provides an overvie...
Does a competitive voucher program for adolescents improve the quality of reproductive health care?: a simulated patient study in Nicaragua: ( L.E. Meuwissen; A.C. Gorter; A.D. Kester; J.A. Knottnerus / BMC Public Health , 2006); This study, published in BMC Public Health, evaluates the impact and sustainability of a competitive voucher programme on the quality of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care for poor and underser...