M. Female condom promotes reproductive health

The female condom offers an opportunity for countries that have committed to pursuing a more holistic approach to contraceptive and disease prevention. As a dual method of protection against both unwanted pregnancies and STD/HIV prevention, the female condom offers an additional opportunity to promote reproductive health. Specifically, the female condom offers women and men a choice, to be used either as a contraceptive method or as an STD prevention method or both. In the promotion of the male condom it was often emphasized as an STD prevention method. This resulted in significant stigmatization of the male condom often making it difficult for women (especially those practicing monogamy) to purchase and negotiate its use.