In the past year, the Female Health Company launched a new and improved version of its innovative female condom – now renamed as the FC2.
This new version doesn't sound like a trash bag blowing down a Chicago ally, is seamless and feels so muy good - and hey, it's another way to protect you from a wide range of STD's including HIV - and, hmmmm, did we say it feels que rico?
While the condom is marketed under the name Female Condom (FC2), some super-cool cities like Chicago (rinngonit.org) and San Franciso (natch) promote it for both coot and boot protection (although its not FDA approved for anal use yet).
It's an all genders party in someone's pants.
The SF folks even have cuuuuuuute ads with cuuuuuuuute boys in 'em.
Check out our SF friends on FB, and give them some LIKE. Thank them for their FC2 gayness.
As the District launches a new campaign encouraging women to put female condoms into their vaginas, some activists are focused on getting the device into a different orifice. Michael Petrelis, 51, has been promoting the use of the female condom among gay men since the 90’s. “When I first learned about the device, I thought the only barrier prevention involved covering the dick,” says Petrelis. Then he found out there was a way to cover his partner’s anus instead. “The female condom put the bottom in charge, in control, and that was such a good thing. And when I’ve been a top—the insertive partner—what I’ve liked about the bottom wearing the device is that my penis wasn’t wrapped in plastic.”
The female condom was approved by the FDA for use in the vagina in 1993. The regulatory body has yet to deem the device safe and effective for use in anal sex, but that hasn’t stopped Peterlis and other public health advocates from noting the device’s anal benefits:
For one, the female condom can adhere to the lining of the anus and provide a roomier experience than the male condom. It also opens up the field for a wider range of sexual accessories: “With the penile device you have to use the water based lubricants. You can’t use Crisco,” says Petrelis. The female condom also allows receptive partners to protect themselves against HIV with partners who refuse to use a male condom. The only thing that’s not sexy about the female condom? The name. “I mean, when you say female condom, I don’t think a gay guy is going to listen, because it’s for a woman. It says ‘female.’ I think it can be a turn-off to gay men,” says Petrelis.
Health organizations launch citywide campaign to mark National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and increase awareness, availability of female condoms
In a way, it’s unfortunate that it is called the female condom since it is really a tool for the receptive partner, and is a great prevention option during anal sex for both women and men.
CHICAGO, IL – An ubiquitous nugget of pop culture advice (“Put a ring on it!”) is the tagline of a new public awareness campaign launched today by a coalition of health organizations that aims to increase the use of a new-and-improved female condom among both women and men.
Timed to coincide with the observance of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March 10), the initiative is the brainchild of the Chicago Female Condom Campaign, a coalition of HIV/AIDS, reproductive justice, women’s health, and gay men’s health organizations that is working to boost awareness, accessibility and availability of female condoms.
The female condom is currently the only barrier method that can be controlled by the receptive partner, allowing both women and men to take control of their health in preventing unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
This kind of prevention option is urgently needed to keep Chicagoans healthy as numbers for STIs continue to rise. Cook County ranks first, second, and third nationwide for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis, respectively, and reported approximately 1,500 new HIV cases in 2008, state health figures show.
African Americans comprise just 15 percent of the Illinois population yet account for 54 percent of the state’s total HIV infections, according to state health data. Just as gay men of color bear the brunt of the HIV epidemic, African-American women are disproportionately impacted by HIV, accounting for 68 percent of all Illinois women diagnosed with HIV in 2008, while Latinas account for 10 percent.
“For many women and men, condom negotiation in the bedroom isn’t an option,” said AIDS Foundation of Chicago policy manager Jessica Terlikowski, who leads the female condom campaign. “The campaign is working to ensure that Chicagoans know about this highly effective safer sex tool and that service providers are equipped with the skills and knowledge to effectively promote it. The way we see it, five little words could save your life: Put a ring on it!”
The female condom is lubricated, and shaped like an open-ended tube, with a removable inner ring and an attached outer ring. The inner ring stays anchored to the cervix during vaginal sex. When used for anal sex, the inner ring can be left in, or taken out, depending on individual preference. The outer ring then covers the surface area around the vaginal or anal opening, providing increased protection against STIs that are spread by skin-to-skin contact. These unique features gave birth to the campaign’s hip tagline.
Like male condoms, there has been no research on the effectiveness of female condoms for anal sex. The Chicago Female Condom Campaign, however, as well as many leading public health organizations, confidently promotes the use of female condoms for safer anal sex.
“In a way, it’s unfortunate that it is called the female condom since it is really a tool for the receptive partner, and is a great prevention option during anal sex for both women and men,” said advocate Zoe Lehman of the Chicago Women’s AIDS Project, a founding organization of the campaign.
“Both women and men engage in anal sex and the female condom is a great prevention tool to keep both partners safe and satisfied.”
In May 1993, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first generation of the female condom, known as FC1 (Female Condom 1). The current, second-generation version known as FC2, was approved by the FDA in February 2009, and is made of a more affordable, hypo-allergenic synthetic rubber (instead of latex), making it a viable option for people with latex allergies. FC2 is also 30 percent cheaper than FC1.
The campaign has partnered with agencies across the city to distribute female condoms for free, and is currently reaching out to public health clinics, health care providers, family planning centers, and other community-based organizations to encourage bulk purchasing. Female condoms can be purchased in bulk through the campaign, at a cost of $.75 each, an incentive that campaign organizers hope will spur greater availability of the product.
“Female condoms provide a sense of power for women because they are able to choose to protect themselves. You don’t need to leave it to the guy,” said Dolores Benton, female condom enthusiast, and case manager for the Pediatric AIDS Chicago Prevention Initiative, a member organization of the campaign. “It’s not difficult to put it in. It’s a piece of cake.”
In the meantime, the Chicago Female Condom Campaign continues to take its message on the road. Through in-person trainings, campaign members equip service providers with the skills to positively promote female condoms, including knowledge of the correct ways to use them and where to access them.
Fox News (Chicago) coverage:
Three in-person trainings are scheduled to take place this week.
The 411 on Female Condoms: Training for Case Managers and Prevention Educators
Wednesday, March 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
AIDS Foundation of Chicago, 200 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 2200, Chicago, IL
Protect Your Success
Wednesday, March 10 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Young Women's Leadership Charter School, 2641 S. Calumet Blvd., Chicago, IL
How 2 Get Down Political Education Training
Friday, March 12 at 12:30 p.m.
Lincoln Library, 326 S. 7th St., Springfield, IL
Condom Hunt & Demonstration
Friday, March 10 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
1823 W. 17th Street, Chicago, IL
This very cool instructional video was created to destigmatize and demonstrate the proper use of a female condom (the orginal version - with a ring) between men. Created for a program in Burkina Faso, this video is presented in English here.
The video is also available in Moree (a primary language in Burkina Faso), Dioula and French. For more information, please visithttp://www.thecondomproject.org
This is certainly an option to diversify your safe sex practices and/or for men who just don't love male condoms - the top can feel less restricted and the condom can be inserted some time before sex. People can and should be more liberal with the lube inside the female condom because it’s less prone to slipping off or slipping into the anus.
Special note - there is a new female condom on the market, the FC2. This latest generation of the female condom is nearly identical to the original female condom, but includes some significant improvements. The FC2 is seamless, softer, quieter, thinner, and stronger that the first generation. It is also made out of a synthetic latex called nitrile that is safe for folks who have latex allergies.
The video above provides instruction on the FC1, but the insertion practices for the FC2 would be the same. Neither version of the female condom has been tested for anal sex - but there are many health institutions that provide guidance for this behavior. It's really up to you if you want to try it and finding what way is most comfortable for you.
Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in early 2009 and now available for purchase in the U.S., the FC2 is the latest generation of the only woman-initiated HIV, STI, and pregnancy prevention tool currently on the market. New and improved, the FC2 is seamless, softer, and quieter than the original female condom. The FC2 is composed of a synthetic latex known as nitrile that is equally protective at reducing a person’s risk of HIV and STI infection as the FC1, and is safe for use by people with latex allergies.
Adding the Female Condom to the Public Health Agenda on Prevention of HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Men and Women During Anal Intercourse
Elizabeth A. Kelvin, PhD, MPH, Raymond A. Smith, PhD, Joanne E. Mantell, PhD, MSPH and Zena A. Stein, MA, MBBCh
The authors are with the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, New York. Zena A. Stein is also with the G. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York. Legal barriers to conducting public health research on methods of protection for anal intercourse were lifted in the United States in 2003 when the US Supreme Court invalidated all state antisodomy laws. Although research funding has been available for the development of rectal microbicides, the female condom, which has already been approved for vaginal use, has not been evaluated for anal use.
Although there is no evidence that the female condom is safe for anal intercourse, it has already been taken up for off-label use by some men who have sex with men. This demonstrates the urgent need for more protection options for anal intercourse and, more immediately, the need to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the female condom for anal intercourse.
In the United States, anal intercourse is a common practice. Among men aged 25 to 44 years in the United States, 3.9% report having had anal intercourse with another man, and 40% report having had anal intercourse with a woman. Among women aged 25 to 44 years in the United States, 35% report having had heterosexual anal intercourse. Hence, discussions about anal intercourse should not assume that the practitioners are all men who have sex with men (MSM). In fact, there are an estimated 4 times more women than there are MSM practicing receptive anal intercourse in the United States. Unprotected anal intercourse is the sexual activity associated with the highest risk of HIV infection.
I'm not going to write about the pope again. I just can't face it. But I'll offer you a related topic - things to know about condoms.
1) When used properly and every time, the male condom has a 3% failure rate. In typical use - not always worn right, and not every single time - the failure rate is 10-14%. reference
2) The female condom has a failure rate of 21% during typical use. reference
3) When a condom breaks, it generally happens because no space was left at the tip of the condom for ejaculate. A properly worn condom has a small reservoir at the end. reference
4) There are condoms especially designed for anal sex. They're stronger and less prone to breakage. The female condom can also be used. referencereference
5) You can put at least 625 condoms on a single dildo. Also, you can fit a condom on your head. referencereference
Two bloggers aint happy about the fact the Female Condom, new or otherwise, has not been tested or approved for anal sex - despite gay men bearing the brunt of the HIV epidemic in this country and the West. Petrelis also aint havin' AIDS Inc and Gay Inc neither for the silence on this issue...
With so much silence and laziness on the part of the well-staffed and well-endowed, financially speaking, AIDS Inc and Gay Inc organizations right now about Reality for gays and stopping new HIV and STD infections, it's no wonder the FDA and the anal condom manfacturer are under no pressure to change their thinking and help sexually active gay men.
The original FC is a polyurethane condom that is identical to the original Reality condom. The FC2 is made of synthetic nitrile rubber to improve affordability, particularly in large volumes. FC2 female condom is a new second generation female condom made of synthetic nitrile. FC2 is strong, hypoallergenic and, unlike latex, may be used with both oil and water-based lubricants. The nitrile rubber is more stretchy than the polyurethane, which may make it harder to use for anal sex.
[Dildo w/female condom image above from Kraemer's blog.]
Related info: International Rectal Microbicide Advocates held a teleconference recently on the new female condom - pre-FDA approval - and implications for anal sex: It was called, "The Female Condom - where the girls – AND boys – are" and featured presentations by Serra Sippel, CHANGE Executive Director and Mitchell Warren, AVAC Executive Director. Click here for Serra's "FC2 Female Condom Update" slides, in PDF format. Click here for Mitchell's slides. And click here for a handy resource on anal sex and female condoms.
So...... who has used the female condom for buttfucking? What was it like? Should we pushing for FDA approval of the female condom for anal sex, for both the many men AND women who like it in the rear?
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