Adolescent contraception
Joseph S. Sanfilippo, Eduardo Lara-Torre, Veronica Gomez-Lobo in Sanfilippo's Textbook of Pediatric and Adolescent GynecologySecond Edition, 2019
The female condom is a female-initiated method of both contraception and STI prevention. The female condom is a single-use polyurethane sheath, 78 mm wide and 170 mm long, with a ring at either end. It is prelubricated on the inside with a spermicidal lubricant, and one ring is placed in the vagina before intercourse and the other open ring sits outside the vagina to allow for intercourse. It can be placed in the vagina up to 8 hours before intercourse.178 It has been shown to reduce rates of STI transmission in women whose partners refuse to use a male condom.16 The female condom can be placed autonomously and is safe to use for those with a latex sensitivity.190 It should not, however, be used in conjunction with a male condom, as the two can adhere to each other and become displaced.178 While clinical evidence is limited, the polyurethane sheath as well as the small amount of protection provided over the perineum should provide STI protection similar to that observed with the male condom. The 12-month pregnancy rate for perfect use is 5% and typical use is 21%.53 Slippage is a problem noted specifically with the female condom, and cost can be prohibitive to its use.178 There are no absolute contraindications to the female condom, but relative contraindications include nitrile polymer allergy or abnormal vaginal anatomy that may pose difficulty with satisfactory placement.188
Psychosocial Influences on Sexual Health
Naomi M. Hall in Sexual Health and Black College Students, 2022
While there are male and female condoms, the use of female condoms as a protective barrier is relatively low among young people and not discussed in detail here. Some of the advantages of female condoms are that they are less likely than male condoms to break or tear, it is larger and can cover more area to prevent more infections, it is not made of latex (for those who have latex sensitivity or allergies) and can be inserted prior to sexual activity to not interrupt spontaneity. The disadvantages include cost (they are more expensive), they are not thought to be as effective as male condoms in preventing STIs, including HIV, and there is only one FDA-approved brand in the United States (Yarber & Sayad, 2018). Despite these problems, the female condom is an option that should be considered when discussing sexual activity and protective barrier methods with college students.
The third-world face of HIV/AIDS
Théodore H MacDonald in Health, Trade and Human Rights, 2018
One solution may be to promote the use of female condoms. The current introduction of female condoms may empower women (Stein, 1990). Since it is used by the woman rather than the man, it gives women greater control over sexual decision-making. Ironically, while empowering women to some degree, it may free men from taking responsibility for their own health (Richardson, 1990). Thus there is a certain ambvalence among women about the real advantages of the female condom. It is interesting to note that, in the first world, the female condom has almost vanished, but, as Burt (2005) pointed out, it is proving to be a godsend to women’s empowerment as it gains acceptance in the third world. Of course, it has certain disadvantages when compared with male condoms.
The Condom Fairy program: A novel mail-order service for condoms and sexual health supplies
Published in Journal of American College Health, 2019
Scott M. Butler, Katharine Mooney, Katy Janousek
Eighty-one participants (11.1%) ordered female condoms through the program including 77 first-time female condom users. Among these, the majority (84.0%) reviewed the additional sources and instructions regarding the proper use of female condoms. Nearly one-quarter (24.7%) had used one or more of female condoms in the last 30 days and 59.3% reported they plan to use them in the future. The majority (65.0%) reported they were confident in their ability to use female condoms. There were no statistical gender differences among the participants who ordered female condoms or who used them in the past 30 days (p > .05). More than half of female condom users reported they were satisfied with female condoms in terms of the instructions (75.0%), ease of use (55.0%), pleasure and sensation (65.0%), protection from STIs (90.0%), protection from unintended pregnancy (80.0%), and design/appearance (50.0%). Additional data regarding condom and safer sex product use can be found in Table 3.
Values and preferences of contraceptive methods: a mixed-methods study among sex workers from diverse settings
Published in Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 2021
Euphemia Sibanda, Ania Shapiro, Bradley Mathers, Annette Verster, Rachel Baggaley, Mary E. Gaffield, Virginia Macdonald
Dual protection – condom use alongside reliable modern contraception – has long been promoted as essential for the prevention of unplanned pregnancies and HIV prevention.37 This requires the availability of a range of contraceptives as well as condoms and lubricant. However, condom supplies for sex workers are inadequate. In Zimbabwe, for example, a case study reported that although there is significant funding for condom programmes, limited coordination between government and funders may be responsible for some gaps.38 Globally there has been a decline in the emphasis on condoms and a reduction in funding for these programmes.39 A reinvigoration of condom programming is critical, including addressing barriers to access for sex workers, while also recognising the need for a coordinated approach to the provision of family planning which would ensure the availability of a range of methods in response to the diversity in women’s contraceptive preferences. This could include more information and support for the use of female condoms, as challenges with use, including insertion, are reported.40,41
Predicting Condom Use Outcomes via the Information Motivation Behavioral Skills Model: An Analysis of Young Black Men
Published in International Journal of Sexual Health, 2018
Jamal Jones, Ashwini Tiwari, Laura F. Salazar, Richard A. Crosby
Based on the limitations of this study, the findings should be understood within the context of this study and regarded with caution. The use of self-reported data limits the validity of the data used in the analyses. The motivation construct did not include a measure of intentions to use condoms, which has been considered in previous studies but not measured consistently (Anderson et al., 2006; Scott-Sheldon et al., 2010; Walsh et al., 2011; Ybarra et al., 2013), as three of these studies used multiple items, while one used a single item to measure condom use intentions. Other studies have excluded behavioral intentions as a measure of motivation to use condoms (Bazargan, Kelly, Stein, Husaini, & Bazargan, 2000; Crosby et al., 2008). We do not consider the use of female condoms by female sexual partners of the men in this study. We also do not distinguish whether the condom was used for anal insertive sex or receptive sex among the men who have sex with men in this study. However, all items in the questionnaire were framed in such a way that model constructs could be attributed to the participants in this study and not their partners. The focus of the study was to better understand whether the young black men, themselves, used male condoms for penetrative sex and which constructs were associated with male condom use outcomes. Finally, these data were correlational in nature, and longitudinal data are needed to define behavioral skills as a mediator of the relationship between information, motivation, and condom use outcomes.
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