The female condom is like a pouch with flexible rings at both ends. Women use it during sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy. Just like male condoms, it also helps reduce the risk of STDs. You have to insert it deep inside your vagina before you engage in vaginal sex. The ring at the closed end will help keep the condom fixed in your vagina, while the other end of the condom will hang outside your vagina. You can also use it during anal intercourse. Wearing female condoms is quite beneficial, but many women just don't understand how to use female condom.

Female condoms ensure that sperm of your partner doesn't enter your body. The condom will cover the inside of the vagina and collect semen after a man ejaculates inside you. For pregnancy to happen, it is necessary for sperm to fertilize an egg, which is not possible since your condom is in the way.

How to Use a Female Condom

It may look daunting at first, but a little practice will make things a lot easier. Here's what you have to do:

• Start by putting some lubricant on the outer side of the closed end of your condom.
• Get in a comfortable position. Sitting on the edge of a chair will make it even easier.
• Hold the condom at the closed end and squeeze the sides of the inner ring. Now, insert it into your vagina exactly how you'd insert a tampon.
• Push it deeper into your vagina until it reaches the cervix.
• Slowly get your fingers out and leave at least an inch of the outer edge of your condom hanging outside your vagina.
• To get it out after your sex session, you simply need to squeeze and twist the outer ring of your condom. Make sure to keep semen inside it.
• Pull it out and throw away. Under no circumstances should you be using the same female condom again.

Just try it a few times and it will become super simple. It is important to point out that the condom may move side to side during vaginal intercourse. You don't have to worry about it, but you must ensure that your partner has not inserted his penis between the walls of your vagina and the condom. If it moves out of position, you can get it out, apply some lubricant, and insert it again. However, you should take emergency contraception if you know your partner has ejaculated outside the female condom in your vagina. Emergency contraception will help prevent pregnancy.

Here’s a demonstration of how to insert female condom:

How Effective Are Female Condoms?

No birth control method is 100% safe, but female condoms prove quite effective when used properly. In fact, studies show that only five out of 100 women will become pregnant if they use female condoms properly. However, 21 out of 100 will become pregnant if they fail to use the female condom properly. What it means is that you need to learn how to use female condom to improve its effectiveness. If you use it correctly, you will be able to reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancy and keep sexually transmitted infections at bay.

What Makes Female Condoms Less Effective?

Common Factors

It is worth mentioning that certain factors can make female condoms less effective. For instance, you may end up becoming pregnant if the penis of your partner touches your vagina before you have inserted the condom. That's mainly because precum also contains sperm that can enter your vagina and fertilize the egg. Similarly, the condom becomes less effective when it is pushed too far into your vagina or you damage the condom with your sharp nails while putting it in.

Lubricants

It is also important to keep in mind that using lubricant may make your condom less effective. While it is a good idea to use lubricant, especially during anal sex, you should take special care about the type of lubricant you use. It is safe to use any type of lubricant on a female polyurethane condom, but you should not use oil-based lubricants, such as creams, petroleum jelly, or body oil on male latex condoms because they can damage the latex.

Use Additional Contraception

Due to these concerns, it is best to use an additional method of contraception if you're more concerned about pregnancy. You can take birth control pills along with using female condoms to avoid getting pregnant even if the condom fails. You can also use emergency contraception if you suspect something has gone wrong. Just remember that emergency contraception is for emergencies only and is not recommended for regular use.

By learning how to use female condom, you can prevent unwanted pregnancy and protect yourself against sexually transmitted diseases. If in doubt, you will have to go see your GP to ensure you haven't contracted any infection. You can also visit your local sexual health clinic for a complete checkup.

Female Condom Advantages and Disadvantages

While there are several types of birth control options available, using female condoms can be a highly effective choice if you know how to use female condomcorrectly. However, there are advantages and disadvantages of female condoms quite like other types of birth control options.

Advantages

• Female condoms add a layer between your body and any bodily fluids secreted during intercourse. This will protect you from sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
• Female condoms prove highly effective when used correctly.
• You don't need to be a scientist to learn how to use female condom, and once you learn it, you can use it any time you have sex. It doesn't require any advance preparation and is just perfect for unplanned sex.
• You don't have to worry about dealing with any side effects of using condoms.
• You can insert a female condom eight hours before sex and they will still serve the purpose.

Disadvantages

• Some couples don't like to insert condoms in the middle of a sex session. They think it's irritating. The best thing is to insert a condom in advance to avoid interrupting your sex session.
• Female condoms are quite strong, but they can split if you don't know how to use female condom.
• Female condoms are not easily available, so are generally more expensive as well.