The second version of the female condom is on sale now, and it costs nearly one-third less.

The second version of the female condom is on sale now, and it costs nearly one-third less.
 
FC2, Female Condom's latest incarnation, is available now in America from the Female Health Company (FHC), reports HipHopWired.com. Last March the Food and Drug Administration approved the product, which is an update on the original female condom, used to prevent the spread of HIV.
 

The new FC2s are reportedly much easier to use and 30 percent less expensive than the original.
 
"America's HIV epidemic isn't going away. In fact, it's getting worse," said Dazon Dixon Diallo, founder and President of SisterLove, which works to prevent HIV and AIDS in Atlanta. "African-American and Latino women are disproportionally impacted...it's time to provide women in heavily impacted communities with expanded access to affordable women-controlled options, and the female condom becomes that choice. Women will use it if they have it."
 
The FHC reports that seven of the 10 most AIDS-afflicted states are in the Southern portion of the States.
 

The FC2 is a less costly creation because it is made of synthetic rubber instead of the polyurethane of its predecessors. Besides cheaper production, the synthetic material is also quieter.
 
This development is especially important for women in countries that are ravaged by HIV. Experts say it allows women to protect themselves when men are unwilling to wear traditional condoms.
 
"We developed the female condom to provide women with access to HIV prevention that they can initiate," said Mary Ann Leeper, the FHC's senior strategic advisor. "We know that women and men practice safer sex when they have access to more prevention methods, and we believe that access to the female condom can help millions of American women negotiate safer sex with their partners."
 
Health groups in the United States and Washington's CVS pharmacies will get the new FC2 this December. The FHC is also preparing a promotional campaign to get the word out about the condoms.

--Whitney Teal

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