So last year, after reading the SuzyKnew! post about the female condom (FC), I thought two things. One, how come I didn’t know that September 16th was Global Female Condom Day? And two, where can I get me some of these?
At first I kept these thoughts to myself because I figured that maybe it was just me. Maybe I’m the only one who had no clue about female condoms. I mean, sure, I’d heard of them. For years, I heard talk of a female condom that was supposed to revolutionize protected sex. But until last year, I had no idea they were actually on the market!
So, I thought I’d tell you my story again so you’ll be ready when Female Condom Day rolls around on September 16th. My Boo back then (yeah, I’ve kind of settled down with just one guy) called me on the phone and asked if I’d read the post on SuzyKnew! He’s good about supporting the blogs that publish my work (mainly because he likes when I write about him). Anyway, he was all excited and decided that we just had to try these right away.
“They’re non-latex,” he raved. “So you don’t have to worry about latex allergies!”
“I’m not allergic to latex,” I said. He didn’t hear me, though. He just kept talking.
“And did you watch the YouTube video? It showed how I can even put it in for you! That sounds so sexy!”
He finally stopped raving about FCs when I promised to do some research as soon as we hung up the phone. So I did. And the more I learned, the more excited I got about trying them.
The only bad thing is that you can’t buy these things just anywhere. These days you can buy male condoms at the grocery store, the drug store, the liquor store and even the gas station! Oh come on, don’t act like you and your date haven’t rolled up to a 24-hour Shell station and grabbed you a pack when the other stores were closed! Y’all know exactly what I’m talking about!
Well with female condoms, the easiest way to find them is to go online. I decided to go with the brand mentioned on Suzy Knew: the FC2. Some Walgreens stores carry them, but only at select locations. I checked my area and no one had any. Bummer.
But according to www.fc2femalecondom.com, you can order them from Walgreens online. They cost just under $7.00 for a box of three, though. Ouch. The cheapest I found were from the Conscious Contraceptives online store. They were just under $5.00 for a box of three, but they were also out of stock. Finally, I decided to order a box from Drugstore.com for just under $6.00 for a box of three. That way, I could pick up a few other items and reduce the cost of shipping and delivery. Then I just had to wait for them to arrive.
I’ll skip ahead to the good part. Royce*, my Boo, was even more excited than I was. Even though he was eager to put the FC in for me, I wanted to try myself for the first time. So, we re-watched the instructional video together and carefully read the instructions that came in the box. And after two false starts, a little fumbling and quite a bit of laughing, I successfully got it inserted.
Ladies, let me tell you. Sex with an FC is fantastic!! See, there’s this outer ring that holds it in place. It sits just outside of your vajayjay. And when ya’ll get to strokin’ and grindin’, that little ring just hits the spot! I mean, no matter what angle he was hitting it from, it felt insanely delicious because my clit was constantly stimulated. I came twice with the first FC we used!
Now, removing them can be a little tricky. The first time, he was on top and I was lying on my back. The key is to grasp the outer ring, twist it and pull. It went as planned at first.
But a little later when we used the second FC (he put it in this time, which was hot), we ended with me on top. I wasn’t thinking and started to reach down to pull it out while I was still hovering above Royce. That was a mistake. We made a bit of a mess. So remember, lie on your back to remove it to avoid spillage!
Overall, my experience with the FC2 was a good one. We’ll definitely be using them again. I just wish they were easier to acquire. I know that some local health clinics and Planned Parenthood facilities have them. But with so many of these clinics closing, even that isn’t a guaranteed source. Ordering them online was pretty painless for me, but may be more difficult for others. It would be so much better if we could just run out to the nearest gas station and grab some for those unexpected, last-minute adventures.
Here’s a thought: basic economics says that demand drives supply, right? The more we spread the word and buy FCs, the higher the demand. And the higher the demand, the higher the supply. This will presumably improve accessibility and drive down the price, too. And then more women can enjoy the benefits of this “new” form of contraception.
So let’s spread the word. Let’s increase awareness and educate ourselves and others. That way, when Global Female Condom Day rolls around again next year, we’ll not only know about it beforehand, but we’ll be able to really celebrate! More importantly, more women will have another tool in their arsenal against STIs and unwanted pregnancies.
Royce and I still have one more FC left to use and he’s been waiting patiently while I type this review. So I’ll sign off now and go put it to good use! See ya!
Source: fc2femalecondom.com, drugstore.com, and SuzyKnew!
*Royce is just my Boo’s online name, not his real one. I always change the names and a few details to protect the not-so-innocent.
First published September 24, 2014