This section of the Condom Use Toolkit provides key facts about female condoms, as well as a selection of resources offering basic information about how female condoms protect women and their partners from unwanted pregnancy, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections.

• Female condoms are sheaths or linings, made of thin, soft plastic film, which fit loosely inside a woman’s vagina.
• The female condom forms a barrier that keeps sperm from entering the vagina, preventing pregnancy and the transmission of infections.
• For greatest effectiveness, condoms must be used correctly with every act of sex. Risk of pregnancy and STIs is greatest when condoms are not used consistently.
• When female condoms are used correctly and consistently, about 5 pregnancies per 100 women occur over the first year
• With typical use, about 21 pregnancies per 100 women occur over the first year.