We may now welcome the phrase “female condom” to the great category of English words like “moist” and “uvula”: those which mostly bring shutters to English-speaking men and women nationwide. But this hasn’t stopped D.C. lawmakers from touting a new campaign to promote safe sex in the area. From metro ads and baskets of free handouts to full on public demonstration tables, the new female condom, euphemized as the “FC2,” is festering all over the Nation’s Capitol after an improved redesign. Will the infamous form of contraception spread to New York, too?
Salon calls the FC2 a “tough sell” even though the new design is supposedly better. The breakdown?
Pros:
Cons:
Debatable:
But DC seems to believe the Pros hold more weight. HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death among African-American Women ages 18-34 nationwide — so it’s kind of a moot point whether or not the FC2 is the most effective or pleasant to use. It’s something. And all the promotion is at least in part educational. Will we be seeing more of these lovely contraceptive tools in our famed NYC Condom campaign, though? Will our buses be telling us to “Get Turned On” too?
According to Dr. Monica Sweeney, the Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of HIV Prevention and Control for New York City, they have more of a grassroots approach to female condoms. Last year, they distributed almost a million female condoms to groups all over the city complete with demonstrated instructions. Sweeney also noted that their distribution increased 13% last year, and that they plan to continue expansion. So, yes, New Yorkers, the female condom is coming. Not like that. But yes, it’s on its way.