How to use them

The following points may be useful in talking to someone about the female condom and explaining how to use them correctly. Of course the language should be adapted to best meet the needs of the patient, or client.

• Find a comfortable position, for example, lying down, sitting with your knees apart, or standing with one foot up on a chair.
• Open the female condom packet by tearing down from the notch, and remove the product. You will see that the female condom is pre-lubricated. Make sure that the flexible inner ring is at the closed end of the female condom.
• Squeeze the lower half of the inner ring between your thumb, index and middle fingers. This should give you a confident grip and narrows the inner ring to ease insertion.
• With the other hand, spread the labia (folds of skin around your vaginal opening). Insert the squeezed ring of the female condom into the vagina, and push inside as far as you can.
• Put your finger inside the female condom until you can feel the bottom of the inner ring. Push the ring up into the vagina.
• You can tell if it is in place when the inner ring is up past the pubic bone. You can feel your pubic bone by curving your finger (towards the front) when it is a couple of inches inside your vagina.
• The outer ring and a small part of the female condom will stay outside your vagina. This is quite normal so don't worry.
• Another method is to use the female condom as a penile (male) condom. It may be best to leave the inner ring at the far end of the Female condom, as this will hold it around the cervix. Since the ring helps to guide the device when it is inserted first into the vagina, and it can cause discomfort, another option is to remove the inner ring. This method could also be used for anal sex.
• Add extra lubricant during sex if you need to. If the outer ring is being drawn into the vagina, or if the penis starts to enter between the vagina and the female condom, then stop. The man should withdraw and add extra lube to the inside of the female condom.
• Removing it: because the female condom lines the inside of the vagina the man doesn't have to withdraw immediately after coming. You can remove the condom when it suits you, making sure that no semen is spilt. Twist the outer ring to keep the semen inside, then pull gently. Throw away the used female condom. Do not flush it down the toilet as it may cause a blockage.