Second female condom approved

Internal Medicine News, May 1, 2009

The second-generation Reality female condom has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA approved the first female condom, the Reality Female Condom (FC1), in 1993. Since the, 165 million have been sold in 145 countries, said Mary Ann Leeper, Ph.D., senior strategic adviser for the Female Health Co., the manufacturer of the second-generation female condom (FC2).

The design has remained the same, but the manufacturing process has changed, resulting in a 30% decrease in manufacturing costs that will get passed on to consumers. Also, the material was changed from polyurethane to nitrile, a less-expensive material that withstood the same tests and had similar responses as the FC1, but which makes the new version quieter during use, she said.