What you can expect

To use the female condom:

• Open the package carefully. Don't use your teeth or fingernails, which could tear the condom.
• Consider using additional lubrication. You can apply additional water-based or oil-based lubricant to the condom to make it easier to insert and to minimize noise during sex.

• Insert the female condom. Squeeze the ring at the closed end of the pouch with your middle finger and thumb and insert it into your vagina like a tampon. Place your index finger inside the condom and push the ring up as far as it will go.

  Don't allow the condom to twist. Make sure the outer ring remains outside the vagina, extending about 1 inch (or about 2.5 centimeters) beyond the labia. You can place the female condom inside your vagina up to eight hours before sex.

• Guide the penis into the female condom. Make sure the penis doesn't slip between the vagina and the outer surface of the female condom. During sex, make sure the outer ring of the condom doesn't get pushed into the vagina.
• After sex, remove the female condom carefully. Twist the outer ring so that the semen is contained in the condom and gently pull the device out of your vagina. Dispose of the female condom in the trash — not the toilet.