Female Condoms: Triple Protection from Unintended Pregnancy, HIV & STIs

Today, September 16, 2015, is the fourth annual observance of Global Female Condom Day. This is an annual day of education and advocacy to increase awareness, access, and use of female condoms [PDF, 1.0 MB].

The female condom is a powerful tool for “triple protection” from unintended pregnancy, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections. Together with other prevention tools, the female condom is an essential component of a comprehensive response to HIV and AIDS and the creation of an AIDS-free generation. The female condom provides women with an opportunity to initiate protection for themselves, gives them a sense of empowerment and control over HIV prevention, and is highly efficacious when used consistently and correctly. Women around the world recognize the power of this tool, as demonstrated by increasing sales of female condoms globally. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has contributed to these successes, shipping 11,049,000 female condoms in 2014. The promotion and provision of condoms (both female and male) is also a key part of the DREAMS [PDF, 2.38 MB] core package of services.

Please help ensure that we continue celebrating successes in advancing sexual and reproductive health for all by sharing the following resources on female condoms:

• This video by Pathfinder International showing how "Female Condoms Are Power, Protection, Pleasure"
• The website for this annual observance www.femalecondomday.org/
• The upcoming female condom conference (December 1-3, 2015) in Durban, South Africa
• Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter using #FemaleCondoms and #GFCD2015

Learn more about USAID’s approach to Addressing Condom Supply and Demand in PEPFAR Programs, and read the updated technical issue brief about female condoms [PDF, 1.0 MB]. 

Photo credit: Universal Access to Female Condoms (UAFC) Joint Programme/Robert Bodegraven