| Abstract: | An acceptability study of the female condom was carried out in Zimbabwe among sex workers (89), urban women attending a family planning clinic in Harare (84), and rural women (23). Their main reason for trying this new method was as protection from sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Over 50 per cent of the women in all three groups said that they and their partners liked the condom very much and preferred it to the male condom. Less than 10 per cent did not like it. The main problems were with the inner ring and too much lubrication, but questions remain on sustainability, and cost is a major obstacle. Further, even though it did not interfere with the women's sexual pleasure, most of the reasons for liking the method were male-centred. |
