South Africa: Female Condom Spices Up the Bedroom

By Ayanda Mkhwanazi [caption id="attachment_12608" align="alignleft" width="290"] Photo: Marlies Pilon/RNW
Different types of female condoms.[/caption] In the wake of World Contraception Day, Health-e News caught up with Penny Ndlhovu, a proud user of the FC2 female condom to get her thoughts about the experience. “In most cases with the male condom women have to negotiate (use), but this female condom has empowered us,” says Ndlhovu, who adds that the female condom has put a bit of spice and intrigue into the bedroom. “I find that more and more women are using it.” “My man gets very excited when he feels the texture of the ring inside me,” says the 49-year-old woman who is a coordinator with the Positive Women’s Network, which works with women on issues related to HIV, and sexual and reproductive health. Her work means that she spends most of her time educating women about safe sex. She encourages women to use the female condom to protect themselves against sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies – a message she hopes will spread across the country during this week. With the female condom, women can control how many children they have and take charge of their futures, she told Health-e News.