Advocacy Message Variety & Choice

Variety & Choice: the spice of life and critical for reducing barriers to female condoms

The female condom is the only female-initiated prevention method that provides protection against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Studies report a high satisfaction rate by both women and men who have used the female condom. The female condom is thus not only a commodity for safety, but also a pleasurable tool that should be accessible for all!

One of the main barriers to female condoms is the lack of variety on the market. More variety promises to increase demand: people have different preferences and the more choice they have, the more likely it is they find a product that suits them! More demand will, in turn, help reduce price. To achieve variety, greater efforts are needed to:

• Put in place international standards to assure quality;
• Bring to the market new models that will meet international standards;
• Document commercial viability of and demand for female condoms.

Help increase choice & variety! We all know that variety is the spice of life!

For more information, please contact:
Nienke Blauw
Advocacy Officer UAFC Joint Programme World Population Foundation