FC & FC2 Female Condom
Resources
There are a number of resource materials and tools being developed, collected and catalogued to assist in the introduction and integration of FC. If you would like copies of any materials listed below or to add new materials to the FC resource centre, contact info@femalehealth.com or info@femalecondom.org.
Fundamental topics for a programme to introduce the Female Condom.
Each topic links to a page with details on the subject.
- Suggestions for Making Your Audience More Comfortable Discussing FC
- A Draft Agenda for Training
- Key Communications Points
- Key Points for Men
- Key Training Issues
- Talking to Your Partner
Newsletters
Click on one of the links below to view the current or past editions of our newsletter in pdf format.
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Organisations & Background Information
The following documents provide information on the FC female condom, including best practice materials from UNAIDS and a review of the FC female condom by WHO. Further information on the organisations below and their work with the female condom can be obtained by visiting their individual websites. For more information on the FC female condom, please see the key studies and research summary on our product page.
Organisations
- The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp - The World Health organisation (WHO)
http://www.who.int - United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA)
http://www.unfpa.org
Documentation
The Female Condom: An Information Pack.
UNAIDS and WHO. 1997.
Part 1: WHO FC Review 1997 Part 2: WHO UNAIDS Information Pack
The Female Condom and AIDS. UNAIDS. 1997.
In English In French In Portuguese
Launching and Promoting the Female Condom in
Eastern and Southern Africa. UNAIDS. 1999
The Female Condom: A Guide for Planning and Programming. WHO and UNAIDS. 2000.
In 2000, WHO and UNAIDS published The Female Condom: a Guide for Planning and Programming to help programme managers in public and private sector health 
systems and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs) address operational and promotional aspects by providing guidance on how to integreate FC into existing activities, effectively promote it, and train providers to support and introduce it to potential users.
The Female Condom: A Guide for Planning and Programming is a large and detailed document. For ease of use on the web, it has been divided into three parts described below. However, it is also available to download in it's entirety by clicking on a picture of the cover to the far right.
Part One: An Overview, including pages 1 to 22.
- Introduction
- What is the female condom?
- What we know about the female condom.
- Cost effectiveness of the female condom
Part Two: Planning and Implementing Programmes, including pages 23 to 59.
- Planning strategically for the female condom
- Steps to Introduce and integrate the female condom.
Part Three: Training and Resources, including pages 60 to 81.
- Explaining the female condom to potential users .
- Resource materials and tools.
Working with the Female Condom: Mini-Guide
A summary of the current knowledge about FC and about developing and implementing programmes that incorporate FC. The mini-guide is divided into six parts:
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The Female Condom: Opportunities & Challanges in South Asia.
September 2002. Farah Usmani
FC Materials
Training Model
Workshops
Training for the Introduction of the Female Condom.
This document includes an outline for three workshops:
- Two Day Service Provider Workshop (Goal, Rationale, Outline)
- One Day Programme Manager's Workshop (Goal Rational Outline)
- Client Workshop (Overview)
How to Use Female Condom
Picture book for FC condom demonstration.
FAQ's
International Leaflet
Communications Media
Posters (click on an image to see a larger version of the individual poster)
A Wall Poster with visual instructions on how to use FC and basic information about it.
The posters below demonstrate the different strategies used to promote the Female Condom in FC programmes around the world.
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Research
The following studies contain information on FC country programmes and FC research. These are useful acvocacy tools to promote FC to governments and donors.
Case Studies
Additional Research Listings
The female condom has been the subject of extensive research for over a decade. Studies detailing some of the key findings from this research are included in the list provided, organized by topic. Web-links have been provided for these articles and papers, so that you can review and/or obtain a copy of the article you are interested in.
Select the topic of your choice:
- Efficacy
- Acceptability
- Additional Protection
- Programme Issues
- Adolescents
- Economics/Cost Effectiveness
- Empowerment/Negotiations/Gender
- Male Involvement
- Men Having Sex with Men
- Re-Use
The Female Condom: From Research to the Marketplace. Lamptey P, Schwarzwalder A, Ankrah EM, et al. Family Health International, 1997.
Key Web Links 
(Click to open a document containing a listing of key web-links.)
Below is a list of organisations involved in female condom programme implementation around the world, as well as broader sexual and reproductive health issues. Their sites can be used to access infomation and resources on the female condom and related topics.
Population Services International (PSI): www.psi.org
PSI works in over 70 countries and deploys commercial marketing strategies to promote health services, products (including the female condom), and healthy behaviour, to enable low-income and vulnerable people to lead healthier lives. They have active programs distributing female condoms in many countries including Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Tanzania, Togo, Thailand Zimbabwe and South Africa.
UNAIDS – The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, (UNAIDS): http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp
UNAIDS is the main advocate for global action on the epidemic. It leads, strengthens and supports an expanded response, aimed at preventing transmission of HIV, providing care and support, reducing the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV/AIDS, and alleviating the impact of the epidemic.
Family Health International: www.fhi.org
FHI has worked on female condom introductory programmes and operations research in South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, Thailand and elsewhere. FHI has also produced materials about barrier methods, and has conducted extensive research about female condom re-use.
Global Coalition on Women and HIV/AIDS: www.unaids.org/en/events/coalition_women_and_aids.asp
The Global Coalition on Women and HIV/AIDS is a new initiative made up of activists, government representatives, community workers and celebrities, who seek to stimulate concrete action on the grounds of improving the daily lives of women and girls.
Launched in London on 2 February 2004, its efforts focus on preventing new HIV infections among women and girls, promoting equal access to HIV care and treatment, accelerating microbicides research, protecting women's property and inheritance rights, and reducing violence against women.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): www.unfpa.org
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is the world's largest international source of funding for population and reproductive health programmes. Since it began operations in 1969, the Fund has provided nearly $6 billion in assistance to developing countries. UNFPA is currently conducting Situation Assessments of FC programmes in several countries.
UNFPA works with governments and non-governmental organizations in over 140 countries, at their request, and with the support of the international community. They support programmes that help women, men and young people:
plan their families and avoid unwanted pregnancies
undergo pregnancy and childbirth safely
avoid sexually transmitted infections(STIs) - including HIV/AIDS
combat violence against women
The World Health Organization (WHO): www.who.int/en/
WHO is the United Nations specialised agency for health. Their website contains a library of resource materials and publications as well as information on individual countries and details on contacts. WHO was involved in the production of the document—The Female Condom: A Guide for Planning and Programming (published in 2000). Since then, it has published clinical guidelines on the re-use of the female condom.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID): www.usaid.gov/index.html
USAID recognises the importance of FC female condom and the role it plays in sexual and reproductive health programmes world-wide. They have been a committed purchaser of the female condom, and their missions have worked to introduce and integrate FC female condom at the country level.