The VA w.o.w. Condom Feminine

The VA w.o.w. Condom Feminine (or VA for short) has been distributed as part of HIV prevention efforts in South Africa since 2004. More recently it has become available in Brazil, Indonesia and through government clinics in Portugal. Having gained the “CE mark” for European marketing, its manufacturer plans to bring it to shops and clinics in the UK, Germany and some other European countries by the end of 2007. One more trial is needed before the product can gain FDA approval for sale in the USA.

Like most male condoms, the VA is made of latex. When not stretched it is much shorter than the FC – around 9 cm (3.5 inches) – though it is highly elastic. It has a rounded triangular frame at the open end and a sponge inside the closed end, which helps to anchor it inside the vagina.

The VA is lubricated and does not contain spermicide. Oil-based lubricants should not be used with this female condom as they can damage latex.

The FC / FC2 female condom

The FC / FC2 female condom
The FC female condom has been available in Europe since 1992 and was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993. It is available in many countries, at least in limited quantities, throughout the world. This female condom carries various brand names in different countries including Reality, Femidom, Dominique, Femy, Myfemy, Protectiv’ and Care.

The FC female condom is a polyurethane sheath or pouch about 17 cm (6.5 inches) in length. At each end there is a flexible ring. At the closed end of the sheath, the flexible ring is inserted into the vagina to hold the female condom in place. At the other open end of the sheath, the ring stays outside the vulva at the entrance to the vagina. This ring acts as a guide during penetration and it also stops the sheath bunching up inside the vagina.
There is silicone-based lubricant on the inside of the condom, but additional lubrication can be used. The condom does not contain spermicide.
In 2005 the makers of the FC female condom announced a new product called FC2. This has the same design as the original version but is made of nitrile, which may make it cheaper to produce. The FC2 began large-scale production in 2007.

What is the female condom?

The female condom is a thin sheath or pouch worn by a woman during sex. It entirely lines the vagina and helps to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV. Two types of female condom are available.

- FC female condom

- FC2 female condom

Getting ready, Choosing the right condom

A number of different types of condom are now available. What is generally called a condom is the 'male' condom, a sheath or covering which fits over a man's penis, and which is closed at one end.
There is also now a female condom, or vaginal sheath, which is used by a woman and which fits inside her vagina. The rest of this page is about the male condom.

Why do I need to use a condom?

Condoms are the only form of protection that can both help to stop the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as HIV and prevent pregnancy.

How to use a condom

How to use a condom
Before Sex
- Use a new condom every time you have sex. These guys are not reusable. (There is a joke about that… It goes. How do you reuse a condom? A: Turn it inside out and wash the F**K out of it). Funny? Not really and it isn’t true either. Use a new condom every time.

- Put the condom on the penis as soon as the penis gets hard. Do this before foreplay, before the penis gets anywhere near any body opening (this is to avoid exposure to ANY body fluid that can carry infection).

- Putting the condom on can be difficult. First gently open the package. Don’t tear the condom in half in your haste. If you have properly completed step 2, you should be pretty excited, but remember if you ruin that condom, things could start to shrivel up on you. After you have the condom open figure out which way it needs to face to be put on properly. The rolled-up ring has to go on the outside so that you can roll it down your penis.

- Squeeze the tip gently so that you don’t trap any air inside it, and so that you leave room for the semen after you come. Hold the tip while you unroll the condom. Unroll it all the way down to the hair. For you Italian guys (like your author) going down to the hair first hair isn’t going to cut it. Roll it down to near the base of your penis. Don’t roll it down far enough to stuff your balls into it, just far enough down so that you will be able to handle it properly after orgasm (see next step).

After Sex
- While your penis is still hard, right after you come, hold the condom in place (this is possible because you have rolled the condom far enough down your penis) with your fingers and pull out slowly. This will avoid spilling any semen.

- Turn and move completely away. This is a good time to say, "Time to powder my nose" or something to that effect.

- Dispose of the condom properly. Unfortunately, they are not flushable. This means you have to throw it away. To prevent an incredible sticky mess, you may want to wrap it in some tissues or toilet paper or something.

- Wash yourself up. Washing with soap and water can help prevent the spread of disease.

- Afterplay is an important part of a healthy relationship. Separating yourself from your partner with a thin layer of latex should not mean that you have no attachment. Try to minimize the disruption in your relationship that condoms cause. Doing so can help you maintain a healthy attitude toward their use and can help build a healthy relationship.

How and what condoms to buy

Lubricated or non-lubricated condoms can be a personal choice. For vaginal sex, sometimes lubrication is provided the natural way. Sometimes added lubrication is not unwelcomed. For oral sex, non-lubricated should be chosen to prevent an awful taste in the mouth. For anal sex, you will probably need all the lubricant you can get.

Spermicide or non-spermicide Spermicide on condoms (usually nonoxynol-9) is not provided in enough quantity to work on its own, however, it is present in case of an accident. Apparently, it is present in case of spillage. Although its effectiveness is unproven, it would be difficult to image that it is less effective than no spermicide at all.
Nonoxynol-9 has its drawbacks. It has it’s own smell. It can cause allergic reactions in some people. It is probably not for people engaging in oral or anal sex. However, if added pregnancy protection is what you are looking for, nonoxynol-9 provides extra for no inconvenience.

Reservoir tip, comfort fit, and the female condom Some condoms have slightly different shapes. A reservoir tip is designed to hold semen after you orgasm. This is supposed to prevent breakage that could be caused by bursting. By giving the semen an expandable area in which to be deposited, the reservoir tip is designed to prevent breakage.
A comfort fit provides a loose pocket for the head of the penis. The shape of the condom is designed to provide some movement between the head of the penis and the side of the condom. This is supposed to provide more sensation for the man.
The female condom takes this one step further. The female condom is a sort of bag that is used to line the inside of the vagina. This device does not move with the man’s penis. It should provide the most sensation for the man. It can also be put in place long before intercourse. The female condom can also provide an added amount of spontaneity.

How to tips for the guys

How to get that bad boy on their as fast as possible.
- Don’t rip the condom pack down the center. This can cause the condom to fall out.

- Rip the pack near the edge, this prevents you from chasing the condom across the room and keeps you from tearing the condom.

- Figure out which way the condom unrolls by unrolling it about 1/4 inch.

- Squeeze the tip with one hand and roll it on with the other. This is definitely a two handed job.

How to take it off without the painful pubic hair experience

- Some guys out there know exactly what I am talking about here. Rolling the condom off of your penis can roll up some stray pubic hairs. As you continue to unroll, the poor pubic hair gets plucked. OUCH! This can be very painful. To prevent this, try to pull the condom off like a glove. If you have a sink, splash some cold(er) water on your penis to encourage shrinkage. Slide it off.

Condom Etiquette

Who is supposed to supply the condoms?
You are supposed to buy condoms. Regardless of whether you are male or female, straight or gay, you are supposed to supply the condoms. Don’t be an idiot or a wuss.

What to do after orgasm.

It is polite to make sure that you pull out properly. Make sure that you put your finger on the rolled up lip of the condom when you pull out. This will prevent spillage of semen.

How to dispose of them
Unfortunately you cannot flush condoms. You have to toss them in the garbage. Wrapping them in tissues and putting them into the kitchen trash is a good idea, because that trash probably gets emptied most often. Putting the condom near the bottom of the trash can prevent embarrassment later.

What to do if it breaks
If a condom breaks, both partners should wash themselves with soap and water. Urinating is said to help avoid infections. It certainly couldn’t hurt. In fact, you may have peed your pants already. If the breakage is discovered after ejaculation, having a separate spermicide handy to apply quickly may help. A doctor can prescribe an intense dose of birth-control pills or a "morning after pill", which will block most pregnancies if used within 72 hours of intercourse. Prayer can’t hurt, but if you’re catholic (like your author) it may fall on deaf ears.

When to use a condom

Regular sex
Yep, use a condom for regular sex. It is good for both birth and disease control. Please be sure to use them properly, though. Misused condoms are not very effective.

Oral sex?
Condoms are a great method of disease control. This applies to oral sex. Although the chances of catching some diseases is decreased with oral sex, there are still plenty of sexually transmitted diseases going around and many of them can be transmitted through oral sex. You would be wise to consider condoms for oral sex. You would not be wise to consider lubricated condoms for this purpose (yuck!).

Anal sex.
Anal sex is a highly risky practice. There is a higher risk of transfer of bodily fluids (especially blood) during anal sex. Condoms should be used for anal sex to prevent disease transfer. Anal sex should also include a condom safe lubricant. Petroleum jelly, baby oil, and many other products are NOT condom safe. More on this in our lubricant or non-lubricated category.

How to buy and use condoms most effectively:

- Stick with a good brand.
- Select the type of condom you want (lubricated, spermicide, ribbed, etc.). More on this in section on buying condoms.
- Stay away from novelty condoms as a birth control or disease prevention device
Follow the usage instructions properly and consistently.
- Don’t rely on your partner to provide them.
- Keep them in a cool place (not your wallet).

Condom Quality

Ways to measure condom quality:

There are a number of ways to measure condom quality including condom strength, elasticity (how much it stretches before it breaks), thickness, and effectiveness (in birth control and in preventing the spread of disease). They even use electrical impulse test to check for leaks. Each of these methods has their pros and cons. Without overstepping our breadth of knowledge we will describe each briefly and then give tips on how to make your condom use the most effective.

Condom Strength:

The strength of condoms can be measured in a couple of ways. One way that they are measured is burst pressure. The condoms are blown up like balloons and the pressure required to burst them is recorded. Higher burst pressures can indicate a stronger condom.

- Elasticity is the ability of the condom to stretch like a rubber band. Latex is highly elastic material. Other plastic materials can be stronger, but may not stretch as far before they break. Comparing latex to other plastics is similar to comparing a rubber band to a rope. A rope may be stronger than a rubber band. You make have to pull harder on a rope to break it, but you will have to pull a rubber band farther. Which is more important, strength or elasticity. We don’t know. At this point further information is required. For now we will continue to recommend latex condoms.

- Thicknes Thinner condoms, such as some condoms that claim improved sensitivity, generally score worse in strength tests than normal condoms. This is generally related to their decreased thickness. A thinner condom is generally weaker.
Some new condoms made from plastics other than latex promise improve strength and improved sensitivity. When we receive some reliable information about non-latex condoms we will post it here. At this time only manufacturers information is available. We will choose to wait for a third party opinion.

- Condom Age Some condoms may have problems. It is not unheard of for condoms to be defective or to age poorly. One thing to look for is condom that is slightly hard, does not roll smoothly, or may be brittle. If you come across a condom like this, throw it out and use a new one. Speaking from personal experience, don’t EVER have only one condom available because if that one condom is one of those brittle, hardened ones you are out of luck. Having a back up available is a good idea. To help prevent this, keep condoms in a cool place. Excess heat isn’t good for them. Also look at the expiration date on your condom packages. These things don’t last forever

Condoms Effectiveness?

As a contraceptive, condoms are cheap and easy to obtain, but they are not perfect. The condom's reliability in preventing pregnancies depends on how it's measured. Researchers don't count the number of individual condoms that fail. They define contraceptive failure as the percentage of women who use a given method but who nonetheless become pregnant over a year's time.

For regular condoms, the typical failure rate is about 12% (the rate for the Reality female condom is 21%), somewhat worse than birth control pills (8%), but better than the diaphragm (18%), withdrawal (19%) and rhythm (20%). [Source: "Contraceptive Technology," Irvington Press, and Family Planning Perspectives journal.] Researchers know that, as with other methods, the failure figures include many couples who don't use contraception every time. If couples used condoms consistently and correctly, researchers estimate, the condom's failure rate would be only 2% or 3%, maybe even less (the Reality female condom is predicted to be 5%).

Condom...

What Is Condom?
Condoms are considered a barrier method of contraception. There are male condoms and female condoms. A male condom is a thin latex (a type of rubber) sheath that is worn on the penis. A female condom is a polyurethane sheath with a flexible ring at either end. One end is closed and is inserted into the vagina, the other end is open and the ring sits outside the opening of the vagina. The male condom is far more widely used and is sometimes called a "rubber" or "prophylactic."