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- $Unique_ID{BRK02156}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{The Female Condom}
- $Subject{Female Condom preferable safe women alternative effective protection
- pregnancy disease pregnant sheath ring diaphragm sex birth control}
- $Volume{}
- $Log{
- Locations of Female Contraceptives*0002002.scf}
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- Copyright (c) 1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
-
-
- The Female Condom
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-
- QUESTION: Are you prepared to offer any comments about the new female condom?
- Is it preferable to the male version, and is it safe? I know a lot of women
- who would appreciate your opinion.
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-
- ANSWER: It is at least a safe alternative for a woman to use when her partner
- refuses to assume the responsibility; but it is not as effective nor as cheap.
- The female condom (said to be named after an 18th century English physician,
- by the name of Conton, credited with inventing it) is less effective than the
- male variety in protection against both pregnancy and disease, and the Food
- and Drug Administration is requiring the manufacturer (Wisconsin Pharmacal) to
- include this information in the labeling of the product. In one study of 150
- women who used the condom for 6 months a reported 32.5 percent became
- pregnant, a number disputed by the manufacturer. The condom consists of a
- polyurethane sheath with a ring on each end, one placed over the cervix like a
- diaphragm, and the other remaining outside. It will cost about $2.50 per
- condom, but as Dr. David Kessler, the Commissioner of the FDA, stated, "it is
- better than no protection at all."
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-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
-