Several of the women attending them female initiated prevention methods workshop had never seen a female condom before, neither were they greatly impressed by it at first glance. “It’s so big”, “its ugly”, “its wide”, “my partner will see it”… “it looks like a bag”, “I have used it and its noisy” are some of the reactions given by the participants when they were asked what they thought of the female condom.

According, to Maya Gokul, the workshop facilitator who is the program advisor for training in condom programming at

theFemale Health Foundation, these misconceptions about the female condom are easily be dispelled when candid information is shared with both women and men to help them understand, how it works and what it can do. Not only is the female condom the only female-initiated contraceptive barrier method, it has the added advantage of providing protection against STIs and is a critical in the success of sexual and reproductive health programs, especially the ones to prevent HIV infection or re-infection.

Global statistics on HIV and AIDS from UNAIDS (2006) indicate that more than half of the adults reported to be living with HIV are women. Of the estimated 37.2 million adults living with HIV 17.7 million are women. Women and girls are more likely to become infected with HIV through heterosexual sex than men and boys. This fact warrants paying special attention to protecting women if they are not to be disproportionately affected by the epidemic.

Correct use of condoms is one of the key strategies used in HIV infection prevention programs because of their proven effectiveness in preventing sexual transmission of the virus when used correctly and efficiently. Many programs have focused on the use of the male condom. The female condom, however, is a female initiated method. The female condom is still considered a relatively new device made its first appearance on the market in 1992 in the UK and 1993 in USA.

Since 2005, the World YWCA has been actively promoting widespread distribution and awareness of the female condom as a central part of its response to HIV and AIDS.

Various factors, such as negative gender roles, place women in positions where they lack power to determine when, where and how sexual intercourse takes place, and whether it is protected sex. The female condom is a device which the woman can introduce to the situation herself, empowering her to take responsibility for protecting herself and her partner against infection.