A female condom, now more commonly called an internal condom, is a soft pouch made of thin nitrile plastic that lines the inside of the vagina (or anus) during sex to prevent pregnancy and reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections. It’s the only barrier method that gives the receptive partner direct control over protection, and it can be inserted up to eight hours before sex.
How It’s Designed
The internal condom is a tube-shaped pouch about 6 to 7 inches long with a flexible ring at each end. The inner ring at the closed end sits deep inside the vagina against the cervix, anchoring the condom in place. The outer ring stays outside the body and rests flat against the vulva, which means it covers more external skin than a standard male condom does. The nitrile material is thinner and softer than latex, transfers heat well, and is safe for anyone with a latex allergy.
How Well It Works
With perfect use every time, internal condoms are 95% effective at preventing pregnancy over a year, according to the World Health Organization. That’s slightly lower than the 98% perfect-use rate for external (male) condoms. In real-world, typical use the gap widens further: about 21 out of 100 people using internal condoms will become pregnant over a year, compared to about 13 out of 100 for external condoms.
The difference comes down mostly to user familiarity. External condoms have been mainstream for decades, so people tend to use them more consistently and correctly. With practice, internal condom effectiveness improves significantly. Most of the failures happen in the first few uses, when insertion feels unfamiliar.
Internal condoms also protect against STIs, including HIV, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Because the outer ring covers part of the vulva, there’s some additional skin-to-skin barrier that external condoms don’t provide. That said, the overall body of evidence suggests they are not quite as reliable for STI prevention as external condoms.
How to Insert and Remove It
The CDC recommends these steps for vaginal use:
- Open carefully. Tear the package at the notch. Don’t use scissors or teeth, which can nick the material.
- Get in a comfortable position. Standing with one foot on a chair, squatting, or lying down all work.
- Squeeze the inner ring. Pinch the sides of the smaller ring at the closed end together with your thumb and forefinger, like a narrow figure-eight.
- Insert and push deep. Slide the squeezed ring into the vagina and use a finger to push it as far up as it will go, until it rests against the cervix. The condom should not be twisted inside.
- Leave the outer ring outside. About an inch of the condom and the larger outer ring will hang outside the body. This is normal.
- Guide the penis in. During sex, make sure your partner’s penis enters inside the pouch, not between the condom and the vaginal wall.
To remove it, gently twist the outer ring a few times to seal the contents inside, then pull the whole pouch out slowly. Throw it in the trash. Never reuse an internal condom, and never use one at the same time as an external condom. The friction between two barriers makes both more likely to tear or slip.
Lubricant Compatibility
One practical advantage of nitrile is that it’s compatible with every type of lubricant. Water-based, silicone-based, and even oil-based lubes won’t degrade the material the way oil degrades latex. That said, oil-based lubricants can leave a coating inside the vagina or rectum that may promote bacterial infections, so water-based or silicone-based options are still the better choice for most people. Internal condoms typically come pre-lubricated, but adding extra lube inside the pouch or on the outside can make insertion easier and reduce noise during sex.
Common Problems and How to Avoid Them
The most frequent complaint is that the condom feels unfamiliar or awkward during the first few uses. Some people find the inner ring uncomfortable or have trouble positioning it correctly. This almost always improves with practice. Try inserting it a few times on your own before using it with a partner so the motion becomes automatic.
Noise was a well-known issue with the original polyurethane version (called the FC1). The current nitrile design (FC2) is significantly quieter. If you do notice rustling, adding a small amount of lubricant inside the pouch usually eliminates it.
The biggest functional mistake is the penis slipping outside the pouch, between the condom and the vaginal wall. If this happens, stop, remove the condom, and use a new one. Holding the outer ring in place during sex, especially in the beginning, helps prevent this. If the outer ring gets pushed inside the body, or the condom bunches up, pull it out and start over with a fresh one.
Why Some People Prefer Them
Internal condoms solve several specific problems that external condoms don’t. You can put one in well before sex, which means there’s no pause in the moment. They don’t require an erection to use, and they don’t constrict the penis. For people with latex allergies, nitrile is a non-issue. And because the receptive partner controls insertion, they’re a reliable option when you want to be sure protection is in place regardless of your partner’s willingness to use a condom.
They also work for anal sex. The inner ring is removed first, and the condom is inserted into the rectum with the outer ring remaining outside. This gives a looser, less constricting fit than an external condom, which some people find more comfortable.
Where to Find Them
Internal condoms are harder to find on store shelves than external condoms, but they’re widely available online. The FC2, made by the Female Health Company, is the version approved by the FDA for sale in the United States. Other brands like Cupid, Pasante, and newer designs are available internationally. Pricing tends to run higher than external condoms, typically a few dollars per condom rather than under a dollar. Many sexual health clinics and family planning organizations distribute them for free.