U.S.-developed "female condom" may reach market by end of 1988."
Contraceptive Technology Update 9(8): 98-99
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0274-726X PMID: 12281612 Document Number: 358141
A female condom, similar in nature to a device tested in England, had gained US Food and Drug Administration approval and may be available on the market in the US by late 1988. The US device was developed by a Wyoming physician, AVK Reddy, as an outgrowth of his research on penile prostheses. This "female condom" is a disposable latex device designed to fit loosely inside the vagina and cover the perineum. Reddy's product differs from those under testing in Great Britain and the US (femshield and the WPC-333) in that it uses standard seamless latex. The latter devices are made of polyurethane and have a single seam. Because the female condom does not fit closely against the penis, it can be made much thicker than male condoms without a consequent loss of sensitivity. This increased thickness reduces the incidence of rips and tears. The female condom can be inserted well in advance of sexual intercourse and is considered to provide maximum protection against sexually transmitted diseases such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).