NEWS
Female Condom Research Summaries Available

Family Health International, Female Condom Information Dissemination Project

The female condom is intended to serve a dual role, offering protection from pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI) including HIV/AIDS. Some advocacy groups see the female condom as a significant new alternative that women can use to better protect themselves against HIV/STIs, and some policy-makers have offered major support for the method. However, many researchers, policy-makers, and program officers are more cautious about committing to wide-scale introduction of the method. Concerns include whether the device is affordable, will replace rather than complement male condom use, will be accepted beyond an initial novelty interest, and can lower rates of disease and undesired pregnancy when made available to communities. In settings where there have been reports of individuals reusing female condoms, there is also concern about how the device can be used safely more than once.
There is a need among policy makers and program managers for objective, research-based information about cost, acceptability and effectiveness of female condoms. In response, FHI's Female Condom Information Dissemination Project provides scientific, objective, and unbiased information on programmatic implications of the female condom. Our research and dissemination focus on sub-Saharan Africa.

The Project produces and disseminates research briefs, via listservs, target mailings, conference presentations at selected conferences, and the Internet.
If you would like more information about female condom research, please visit FHI's female condom information page at http://www.fhi.org/en/topics/fc/index.html or email femalecondom@fhi.org
David Hock, Senior Information Projects Coordinator, Family Health International e-mail: dhock@fhi.org

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