What are internal condoms?
Internal condoms, also known as female condoms, are pouches or sheaths inserted into a vagina or anus to provide protection against pregnancy (in vaginal sex) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). They are made of thin, transparent plastic lining and loosely fit inside a vagina.
They have flexible rings on both ends. The ring on the closed end is used to insert the condom while the ring on the open end is used to hold a section of the upper part of the condom outside the vagina or anus.
A female condom can be made from various materials such as nitrile, latex, or polyurethane.
How do internal condoms work?
They work the same way that external condoms do, except that they are worn on the inside of the vagina or anus instead of on a penis. They keep the sperm inside the condom and out of the vagina or anus. They also help to keep infections or sexual fluids on the penis, vagina, or anus away from a partner (1).
Effectiveness of internal condoms
The effectiveness of an internal condom depends on how you use it. The risk of pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection increases when you don’t use the condom during every sex act. The only time pregnancy might occur when using this condom is usually as a result of incorrect usage, breakage, or slippage.
As commonly used, 21 out of 100 internal condom users end up pregnant within the first year of usage. This means that it is 79% effective. With perfect usage, 5 out of 100 female users end up pregnant. This means that it can be up to 95% effective at preventing pregnancy. Internal condoms also reduce the risk of getting infected with an STI, including HIV (2).
