IOWA: University of Iowa Students Talk About Female Condom

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

IOWA: University of Iowa Students Talk About Female Condom

University Wire (12.16.08) - Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Adam Sullivan; The Daily Iowan

Last week, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel unanimously recommended approval of a second-generation female condom that uses an alternative material that will likely lower its cost. It is expected the agency will follow the suggestion and approve the device for sale in the United States.

The current cost of the female condom, approximately $3, is one reason it is unpopular on college campuses. Tanya Villhauer, an associate director of Health Iowa, said female condoms are available at the University of Iowa Student Health center but have not widely caught on.

A cheaper version would likely improve uptake, said Villhauer. "Certainly any time cost goes down, usually a product will sell a little bit better. It certainly can't hurt," she said.

However, other factors could keep the female condom from becoming a more popular option. "It's kind of embarrassing, but they're a little noisy," said Villhauer, referring to the sounds the condom makes during intercourse.

Jennifer Warren-Ulrick, director of health services at Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa, said the condom's design is part of the problem. "It's a bit uncomfortable, I think, for the female patients," she said.

Dental student Mary Kay Caniglia said that while she knows about the female condom, she has never used one and would not even know where to obtain one if she wanted to. "I feel like there are better options, like just being on [birth control pills]," she said.
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