Female Condom

Female condom- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condom#Female_condom

Main article: Female condom

Male condoms have a tight ring to form a seal around the penis while female condoms typically have a large stiff ring to keep them from slipping into the body orifice. The Female Health Company produced a female condom that was initially made of polyurethane, but newer versions are made of nitrile. Medtech Products produces a female condom made of latex.^[47]

See also: Comparison of birth control methods: Effectiveness of various methods

The effectiveness of condoms, as of most forms of contraception, can be assessed two ways. Perfect use or method effectiveness rates only include people who use condoms properly and consistently. Actual use, or typical use effectiveness rates are of all condom users, including those who use condoms incorrectly or do not use condoms at every act of intercourse. Rates are generally presented for the first year of use.^[48] Most commonly the Pearl Index is used to calculate effectiveness rates, but some studies use decrement tables.^[49]:141

The typical use pregnancy rate among condom users varies depending on the population being studied, ranging from 10–18% per year.^[50] The perfect use pregnancy rate of condoms is 2% per year.^[48] Condoms may be combined with other forms of contraception (such as spermicide) for greater protection.^[38]

In preventing STDs

See also: Safe sex

Condoms are widely recommended for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). They have been shown to be effective in reducing infection rates in both men and women. While not perfect, the condom is effective at reducing the transmission of organisms that cause AIDS,genital herpes, cervical cancer, genital warts, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other diseases.^[46] Condoms are often recommended as an adjunct to more effective birth control methods (such as IUD) in situations where STD protection is also desired.^[51]

According to a 2000 report by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), correct and consistent use of latex condoms reduces the risk of HIV/AIDStransmission by approximately 85% relative to risk when unprotected, putting the seroconversion rate (infection rate) at 0.9 per 100 person-years with condom, down from 6.7 per 100 person-years.^[52] Analysis published in 2007 from the University of Texas Medical Branch ^[53] and the World Health Organization^[54] found similar risk reductions of 80–95%.

The 2000 NIH review concluded that condom use significantly reduces the risk of gonorrhea for men.^[52] A 2006 study reports that proper condom use decreases the risk of transmission of human papillomavirus to women by approximately 70%.^[55] Another study in the same year found consistent condom use was effective at reducing transmission of herpes simplex virus-2 also known as genital herpes, in both men and women.^[56]

Although a condom is effective in limiting exposure, some disease transmission may occur even with a condom. Infectious areas of the genitals, especially when symptoms are present, may not be covered by a condom, and as a result, some diseases can be transmitted by direct contact.^[57] The primary effectiveness issue with using condoms to prevent STDs, however, is inconsistent use.^[24]

Condoms may also be useful in treating potentially precancerous cervical changes. Exposure to human papillomavirus, even in individuals already infected with the virus, appears to increase the risk of precancerous changes. The use of condoms helps promote regression of these changes.^[58] In addition, researchers in the UK suggest that a hormone in semen can aggravate existing cervical cancer, condom use during sex can prevent exposure to the hormone.^[59]