Female Condom

photo of a Female Condom

The female condom is a condom that you insert into your vagina. This stops semen from entering the womb (uterus). The female condom looks like a plastic bag with 2 flexible rings.

How does it work?

During sex, the penis is inserted into the female condom. When the man has an orgasm, the semen is caught by the female condom. This prevents pregnancy.

Tips for use

  • You can insert a female condom yourself. Put the small ring into your vagina. The larger ring stays on the outside of the vagina, resting against the labia.
  • Time to remove the female condom? Twist the outer ring to keep in the semen and pull the condom out of the vagina.
  • Read the instructions in the packet.

Where can you get female condoms?

You can buy female condoms at chemists, pharmacies and some supermarkets, in sex shops and on the internet.

Having your period

Female condoms do not affect menstruation. You’ll have your period as normal.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

  • Female condoms protect against STIs and pregnancy.
  • You can insert a female condom before you have sex. This means that you don’t have to stop to insert a condom while you’re having sex.
  • You don’t have to take a female condom out straight after having sex, you can leave it in for a little while.
  • Female condoms are a hygienic option for having sex during your period.
  • They don’t contain hormones.
  • Women are not dependent on men for contraception.

Disadvantages:

  • They’re relatively expensive: approximately 2 euros each.
  • You can see it on the outside of the vagina. Some people don’t like that.