Encouraging News in the Development of a New Female Condom

According to a USAID-supported study led by CONRAD, and for which Family Health International managed the data and provided statistical support, couples prefer a new female condom developed by the Program for Appropriate Technology (PATH) to the only female condom currently on the market in the United States.

Researchers tested the new product -- known as the Woman's Condom (WC) -- among 75 couples recruited at three clinical centers in the United States. The couples were asked to compare their experiences with the WC to their experiences using the available Female Condom (FC1). The order in which the couples tried the condoms was randomly assigned, but they all used four of each type of condom over a two- to four-week period.

Results reported in a recent issue of the journal Contraception showed that the WC failed less often than the FCI and caused less female urogenital irritation. Of the people who reported a preference, twice as many preferred the WC.

The FC1 is safe and has been shown to be acceptable for short-term use, but it has not been a popular method of birth control. According to the results of this study, the WC is easier to use and is generally preferred over the FC1. Because of these encouraging results, the researchers call for further development of PATH's WC -- a promising, new, female-controlled barrier method of contraception.

Source
Schwartz JL, Barnhart K, Crenin MD, Pointdexter A, Wheeless A, Kilbourne-Brook M, Mauck CK, Weiner DH, Callahan MM. Comparative crossover study of the PATH Women's Condom and the FC Female Condom. Contraception 2008; (78): 465-473.