Female Condom Research Summaries Available!

Greetings and apologies for any cross-postings!

Family Health International, Female Condom Information Dissemination Project

The female condom is intended to serve a dual role, offering protection from
pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI) including HIV/AIDS. Some
advocacy groups see the female condom as a significant new alternative that
women can use to better protect themselves against HIV/STIs, and some
policy-makers have offered major support for the method.  However, many
researchers, policy-makers, and program officers are more cautious about
committing to wide-scale introduction of the method.  Concerns include
whether the device is affordable, will replace rather than complement male
condom use, will be accepted beyond an initial novelty interest, and can
lower rates of disease and undesired pregnancy when made available to
communities.  In settings where there have been reports of individuals
reusing female condoms, there is also concern about how the device can be
used safely more than once.

There is a need among policy makers and program managers for objective,
research-based information about cost, acceptability and effectiveness of
female condoms.  In response, FHI's Female Condom Information Dissemination
Project provides scientific, objective, and unbiased information on
programmatic implications of the female condom.  Our research and
dissemination focus on sub-Saharan Africa.

The Project produces and disseminates research briefs, via listservs, target
mailings, conference presentations at selected conferences, and the
Internet.

If you would like more information about female condom research, please
visit FHI's female condom information page at
http://www.fhi.org/en/topics/fc/index.html
<http://www.fhi.org/en/topics/fc/index.html>  or email [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> .

David Hock
Senior Information Projects Coordinator
Family Health International
e-mail: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>

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