Raincoat of a Different Sort

I read this article today and have a lot of thoughts on it. If you're not interested in following the link, the author asked two women (and their partners) to test out female condoms, because it's a form of birth control/STD prevention that people don't often talk about, even though they've been around for years. It was a small article, but it brought up a lot of stuff.

I read this because, as I said, female condoms have been around for years, but I rarely hear anyone talk about them. However, given the fact that so many states keep trying to limit women's access to birth control, maybe female condoms might become more popular. Having read the article though, I don't think that's likely to happen.

The problem is, female condoms kind of have a combination of the problems associated with female AND male birth control.

Like a lot of birth control for women, they aren't all that accessible. The author couldn't find them at any local pharmacies. They could be bought online, but the shipping made them expensive. Plus, anything that has to be shipped to you clearly isn't going to cut it for 'at  the moment' sex. One of the major benefits of male condoms is that they're inexpensive and easily accessed. Unless the female counterpart becomes more available, it will remain expensive and something you have to plan in advance, just like all other forms of female birth control.

Aside from the availability, the advantages of male condoms are very high. No medical professionals need be involved in their purchase. Men don't have to have anyone stick fingers inside them or get a prescription for a condom. They are not only good in pregnancy prevention, but also help to lower the chances of contracting HIV.

Despite this, a lot of people don't like them. We all know the reasons. It lessens the sensation. It's awkward. Putting on a condom can mess with the excitement that builds before sex. None of these change with the use of the female condom. People who use them still find the sensation to not be as strong as without. Putting it in is still awkward. And while the female condom can be placed hours before one decides to have sex, most women don't find it all that comfortable to walk around with one.

In the comments, some people pointed out some actual advantages to the female condoms versus the male ones. A woman with an allergy to latex said she used them because non-latex condoms tended to come in only one size and penises don't. A man stated that while the sensation was less than bareback sex, it was better for him than using a male condom, because his penis was still naked.

For my part, I think female condoms should be more embraced. It gives women a way of controlling their sexual situations with something that congress can't legislate. It also helps to prevent HIV. Availability is still an issue, but we can find ways to make that change. Who knows, maybe one day they'll be as available and easy to purchase as the guy version.