On The Female Condom

One group at the AIDS Conference in DC is trying to bring attention back to the female condom for gay men. Via press release:

‘Strange,’ ‘unnatural,’ even ‘squishy’ sounding – these are just a few of the comments overheard in discussions around female condoms. Yet, listen to those who have actually used them and the conversation changes: ‘thinner,’ ‘more pleasurable’ and ‘life saving’ are the descriptors used. Female condoms are even touted by gay men as providing a more “gratifying” alternative to the male condom. So why haven’t we heard more about female condoms?

The Universal Access to Female Condoms Joint Programme (UAFC), a collaboration of more than 60 global partners, knows that female contraceptives remain taboo in some circles. Just months ago, Michigan State Representative Lisa Brown was scolded for uttering the word…wait for it… ‘vagina’ on the House floor.

To detract from the adolescent nature of national discourse on topics deemed overly feminine, UAFC is trying something different. Really different. The coalition is aiming to set a Guinness World Record at this week’s AIDS Conference – a chain of 20,000 Paper Dolls (equivalent of almost four miles) intended to get people talking about female condoms, with the hope that it will lead to better (and more comfortable) dialogue surrounding female sexual health and family planning.

Have you ever tried one?