What is a female condom?

A female condom is a long plastic discardable pouch, that goes inside a woman's body, either the vagina, rectum, or mouth prior to the insertion of a penis. The female condom lines the walls of the vagina, rectum, or mouth, and prevents semen and other fluids from entering the body

How to use a female condom

A female condom is inserted and placed prior to sexual intercourse. It is disposable and discarded after sex.

How effective are female condoms?

Female condoms work almost as well as male condoms to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases as long as they are used correctly. They’re about 95% effective in preventing pregnancy, which means that in a year, 5 out of 100 women who use them the right way every time will get pregnant. Compare that to 2 out of 100 women whose partners always use male condoms correctly.

Female condoms won’t completely eliminate the risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD), but they do greatly cut risks.

Learn more about other birth control methods in our Birth Control Guide!