Female condom - Quiet tool of empowerment
The female condom is an important tool of empowerment for women, yet it’s one you rarely hear about — even from women themselves.
Strangely, the female condom, also known as the *femidom* or *internal condom*, is meant to be the vagina’s “superhero cape.”
It does some of the most essential work in sexual health: protecting women (and their partners) from HIV, other STIs, and unintended pregnancies, all while giving women greater control.
Yet there she sits on pharmacy shelves — untouched, unloved, and sometimes, unbelievably, repurposed as a fashion accessory.
Recently, reports that nearly 50,000 female condoms procured by the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) had expired due to low public demand were not surprising, but at the same time, worrying.
The deputy Programme Manager of the National AIDS/STI Control Programme, Dr Anthony Ashinyo, said the low demand affected the supply chain, with pharmacies and public health facilities now stocking only limited quantities.
In other words, when people don’t ask for it, shops don’t stock it — and when shops don’t stock it, people can’t ask for it.
Unfortunately, this isn’t just an odd national mystery; it’s a genuine public health concern.
The real reasons women avoid it
Dr Ashinyo points to cultural and social perceptions.
He said some women fear that using a female condom automatically tags them as untrustworthy or promiscuous.
Women believe that using female condoms means they cannot be trusted by their partners.
Then there is the real-life experience of use, and for some women, it is not exactly love at first try.
Discomfort and overstimulation when using the female condom are other reasons.
For Yemoley, it was the discomfort she experienced once she tried the female condom.
“It was not comfortable at all.
I don’t think I’d like to try it again,” she said.
Judith, a banker, put it plainly: “I have not used the female condom before.
But from what I have seen and read, it is not easy to put on and remove.
I prefer the male condom. It is simple and easier.”
Even online, the reviews can be blunt. Nicole Knight @nicoleknightUSA wrote on X: “I used a female condom for the first time and I’m not a fan.
It felt fine, but it’s so unattractive looking.
Does anyone use them?”
However, Joan, a nurse, believes the low demand stems largely from limited education, knowledge, and understanding of female condoms — along with inadequate guidance on how to use them correctly.
Other research also points to availability.
They are not readily available in pharmacies and public health facilities, making it difficult for women to access them.
Some studies say some women find the size and appearance unattractive, making them less likely to use them.
And in true Ghanaian creativity, some women have even found alternative uses for the female condom — removing the rims to craft bangles and decorate clothing.
If nothing else, it proves the product is memorable, though not always for the reasons it was intended.
Women and STIs: why this matters
Low condom use, especially among women, poses a threat to the country’s fight against STIs, including HIV.
In 2024, Ghana recorded 15,290 new HIV infections, with women making up 67.4 per cent of the cases.
Add to that 12,614 AIDS-related deaths, and the picture sharpens: women, more often than men, shoulder the burden of STIs.
The female condom was literally designed to shift this imbalance by putting protection in the woman’s hands, regardless of whether a partner agrees to wear a male condom.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says 63 per cent of the 26 million people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa are women and girls.
Globally, 40.8 million people are living with HIV; 1.3 million new infections occurred in 2024; 9.2 million people are still not accessing treatment; and approximately 630,000 people died from HIV-related causes in 2024.
“Condoms serve as a biomedical protective tool that collects secretions containing viruses.
When people don’t use them, those secretions come into direct contact during intercourse, increasing the risk of infection,” Dr Ashinyo says.
Female condom has been around longer than TikTok
The female condom is not new. In the 1990s, the first female condom, known as the “Reality condom,” was introduced in the U.S.
It was made of polyurethane and designed for women to use as a barrier method of birth control.
The WHO approved the female condom for use in 1993.
In the 2000s, the female condom was introduced in Ghana and other African countries as a tool for HIV prevention and family planning.
By 2005, a new version made of nitrile was introduced, offering a more affordable and comfortable alternative.
Efforts to promote female condoms gained momentum with campaigns to increase awareness and accessibility, particularly in developing countries.
In simple terms, the product exists, but the public conversation does not.
Female condoms are effective
Health experts say female condoms are great at preventing pregnancy and STIs.
But for them to work, you have to use them the right way every time you have sex.
When it comes to preventing pregnancy, female condoms work almost as well as male condoms.
For couples who use them correctly, female condoms are about 95 per cent effective.
If Ghana wants to reduce HIV infections, especially among women, then female condoms must be treated like the essential tool they are.
The Ministry of Health, the Ghana AIDS Commission, the NACP, and other relevant stakeholders have a major task ahead: to promote the female condom with the same intensity given to the male condom.
Dispelling myths and stigma, while highlighting its benefits and proper use, is essential to increasing acceptance and demand.
They could also look at installing condom dispensing machines in public spaces to increase accessibility.
When a woman uses a female condom, she is not begging anyone to “please wear protection,” she controls the protection herself; she has peace of mind; she enjoys intimacy without fear; she chooses safety without negotiation.
And that freedom is why the female condom deserves more visibility, conversations, and a long-overdue rebrand.
It’s time we stopped treating it like some mysterious alien gadget and recognised it for what it truly is — a quiet powerhouse of protection that has been waiting for women to claim it.
