Celebrate Global Female Condom Day

Sexual pleasure and protection are a priority in my life because I know my HIV status and that of my husband. Taking ownership during foreplay and ensuring my husband’s safety from contracting HIV is a normal part of my life as I have known about my positive HIV status for more than ten years. My husband has been HIV negative all these years and I am grateful for his support in ensuring that I adhere to my antiretroviral treatment and our commitment to practising safe sex.

Ever since we discovered the Female Condom 2 (FC2), our sessions of intimacy have improved because I have been empowered with a tool that not only protects me from HIV re-infection but also stimulates my clitoris with its outer ring. I believe the FC2 helps me to reach my orgasm, or what I call my erotic heaven, every time.

It is very exciting to insert and I often insert it while stimulating myself during foreplay. My partner enjoys watching me insert it and at times he even inserts it himself. This marvellous female controlled prevention tool is widely available within the public health sector in South Africa.

Although the Female Condom 2 is for preventing HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections it also spices up the couple’s love life. We have shared this exciting finding with our friends who have also tried it and have attested to the enhancement of their love lives.

Couples can be very innovative with the FC2 as it is not just for the woman to insert but the male partner can also insert it inside his female partner or wear it on his erect penis as they enter their erotic heavens. The lubrication that comes with the condoms makes penetration much easier and enjoyable to both partners.

I encourage women, men and couples to access the FC2 at public health centres or purchase them at pharmacies to ensure protected sexual heavenly pleasure which empowers the woman. This can also be used as an entry point for couples to start discussing different sexual prevention tools or erotic positions, which are often viewed as taboo by our communities.

Loving with protection and pleasing each other in sexual relationships improves the trust and faithfulness in a relationship.

On this Global Female Condom Day my husband and I will have our protected sexual rendezvous, will you?

Nokhwezi Hoboyi is Project Coordinator - National Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Campaign at Sonke Gender Justice