3 Reasons The Female Condom Is One Of The Best Kept Secrets In Reproductive Health
It was just a few weeks okay that I got put on to menstrual cups here on xoNecole, and this week it's time to delve into the awesomeness that is female condoms.
Source: femalecondoms4all.org
The female condom, or femidoms, was developed in 1984 and launched internationally in 1991 by Danish doctor, Lasse Hessel. It is currently now the number one choice of birth control amongst women, albeit it is the only tool available designed to offer dual protection against STIs, HIV, and unplanned pregnancy, according to the National Female Condom Coalition. From a study in 2011, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention found more than four out of five pregnancies were unintended in women ages 19 and younger, with the proportion of those pregnancies highest amongst girls younger than 15 at 98%.
Women are less likely to contract infections when presented with a wider range of contraceptives. Male condoms, birth control pills, Depo-Provera, or the NuvaRing are not the end all, be all of protection. However, after existing on the market for over two decades, only 1.6% of all condoms distributed worldwide are femidoms.
Here's three reasons why women should consider femidoms as their preferred contraceptive:
1. Sex Is For Pleasure, And Both You And Your Partner Can Get Off Better
I remember growing up and hearing stories about teenage boys and men not wanting to use condoms because “going raw" felt better. And while that may be true for both men and women, the need to protect oneself is still of utmost importance. If your partner is steadfast in not wanting to use male condoms, women have the option of safeguarding their health and the person they're intimate with by using femidoms.
Although the cost is higher in comparison to that of male condoms, pre-lubricated femidoms offer a quick fix to vaginal dryness during sex and with its outer ring, helps stimulate the clitoris. Some female condoms are designed so that the inner ring provides sensation to the tip of a penis when touched. It's been reported some men actually favor femidoms over male condoms, or view them as complementary to one another, because it does not constrict nor inhibit sensation. The acceptance of female condoms by men is due in part to increased pleasure for both parties while engaging in intercourse. It should also be noted that people of all genders and sexual orientation use female condoms.
2. Women are able to call the shots
Instead of relying on men to provide a means of birth control, women are offered the chance to protect health on both ends of the spectrum. Millions of women are dependent on a male's erection to sustain pleasure during sex, but in using a female condom, women are able to call the shots, providing the barrier and remaining safe. These condoms cover more of the external genitalia, helping protect STDs that are transmitted through skin contact.
With dual-protection comes dual responsibility in preventing infections. With the political world ablaze with conversations on women's health, women are able to make decisions about their own sexual health through use of the female condom. Femidoms have a 5% failure rate, whereas male condoms fall within the 9-10% range, according to Planned Parenthood and the CDC.
It's also non-hormonal which actually aids in women feeling better about utilizing them instead of Depo-Provera or the pill which results in increased weight gain, affecting the perception about body image.
3. You Won't Hear The 'Allergic' Excuse Anymore
Cheers to change! Men use the “I'm allergic to latex" excuse a lot, and well, some women do too just for the chance to experience sex better, sans condom. The FC2 female condom, which is only available in the United States and approved for use by the FDA, is hypoallergenic and can be used for those who are anti-rubber. FC2 is made with nitrile, a compound found is medical gloves (sounds odd, but remember the same materials go in your vagina when you visit your gynecologist), so that oil- or water-based lubricants can be applied prior to sex. The heat transmitting material in a non-latex female condom also assists with pleasure and warms body temperature. Perfect for those autumn and winter nights.
If you are curious on how it is inserted, catch a video tutorial below:
Are you currently using female condoms or have used them in the past? Talk about your own experiences to educate other women below!
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
Getty Images
Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images