NEW YORK — Advocates of the female condom are promoting a less costly, more user-friendly version that they hope will expand its role in the global fight against AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
An early version of the female condom was introduced in 1993, and it remains the only available woman-initiated form of protection against STDs and unintended pregnancy. Yet despite global promotion by the United Nations and other organizations, its usage is still minuscule, even as women bear an ever-growing share of the AIDS epidemic.
Advocates hope the dynamics will change after last month’s approval by the Food and Drug Administration of the FC2, a new version of the female condom produced by the Chicago-based Female Health Co.
About 35 million female condoms were distributed worldwide last year, but that compares with more than 10 billion male condoms, which are far cheaper and, at least initially, easier to use. However, in some nations with high HIV rates, many men refuse to wear condoms, putting women at risk.
The cost of the FC2 is one-third less than its predecessor and might go lower, enabling health organizations to distribute many millions more now. Currently, the price is about 60 cents, compared with less than 4 cents for mass-distributed male condoms, a difference that’s an issue in the developing world.
