FC2 - The New And Improved Female Condom

Much like the virus itself, the fight against HIV is ever-evolving. Strong voices speak out for abstinence programs, mass condom distribution and finding a vaccine or promoting strong antiretroviral drugs. Still another option, albeit a much less discussed option, is the female condom. Those activists that support the use and distribution of a female condom are speaking out in regards to the cheaper, easier-to-use version of the condom that has recently been introduced.

In the early 1990s, one version of a female condom came out; while, to this day, it is the only protection against pregnancies and various STDs that can be initiated solely by a woman, it has not been picked up globally despite the fact that women account for more than half of all AIDS cases. The new female condom, named FC2, was developed by Female Health Co. and approved by the Food and Drug Administration this year. Last year alone, manufacturers distributed approximately 35 million female condoms. Compare that to the over 10 billion less expensive male condoms that were distributed the same year and one can see there is a lot of room for FC2 condoms to change mindsets and grow globally.

One way the FC2 surpasses the first female condom is that it is less expensive (approximately 1/3 less) to manufacture since it is made from a synthetic rubber, as opposed to polyurethane. This will allow various health organizations to purchase and distribute millions more than the previous female condom. Despite the drop in cost, however, the female condom still costs 60 cents each in comparison to the male condoms which can be sold for less than 4 cents each.

Those supporters of the female condom were ecstatic when the FDA put their seal of approval on them since it will allow for their distribution abroad through USAID (United States Agency for International Development), a large distributor for condoms. Susie Hoffman, an assistant professor out of Columbia University, is ecstatic about the new developments, “This is a tremendous victory. In the United States, there has been strong bias against it. Some people involved in AIDS and family planning would say, ‘Why do we need these? … It’s so weird that women are not going to pick it up.’ But if presented in the right way, many women do like it. To find these people and help them and train them, you need systematic programming, which costs money.”

There has been little resistance for the mass distribution of female condoms, especially in those nations that have been hardest hit with the AIDS epidemic. Many government agencies have been very assertive with their promotion of female condoms in these countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe and Brazil. In fact, in Zimbabwe, over 30,000 women signed a petition that would allow their country’s women access to female condoms. In other countries, training session on how to use the female condom have been heavily attended. Bidia Deperthes, an HIV technical advisor for the Population Fund states, “The mindset is changing, but there are still a lot of challenges. Accessibility is still minimal. There’s a huge demand, and we’re not meeting it.” Her hope is that as the distribution number grows, the price per female condom would drop to 25 cents, allowing even more access to these condoms throughout the world.