Future of the female condom

Future of the female condom

Vending machines for both male and female condoms in France

The two female condom manufacturers hope that demand for their products will grow substantially in the near future. However both are small companies with limited promotional resources, and it remains to be seen whether FC2 or VA will prove much more popular than the original female condom – even if they are cheaper.

New female condoms are being developed by the non-governmental organisation PATH and by a Belgian company called MEDITEAM. These are still a long way from becoming widely available and their future prospects are uncertain.⁶

The benefits of expanding female condom use could be very great. A study in 2006 found that countrywide distribution (equivalent to 10% of condom sales) of the FC2 female condom in Brazil and South Africa would be “useful and cost-effective” for preventing HIV. The cost savings could be greatly increased if 300 million FC2s were acquired through a global purchasing mechanism, which would cut the price per condom by two thirds.⁷

Wider use of the female condom in developing countries depends on the commitment of governments and other major donors. To achieve its full potential, much greater efforts need to be made worldwide to promote the female condom, to make it more accessible and acceptable.