The female condom, also called an internal condom, is a soft nitrile pouch you insert into the vagina before sex. It lines the vaginal canal, with a closed inner ring that sits near the cervix and a thin outer ring that stays outside the body, covering the vaginal opening. Learning to use one takes a little practice, but the process is straightforward once you’ve done it a couple of times.
How to Insert an Internal Condom
Open the package carefully. Avoid using scissors or your teeth, which can nick the material. You’ll see a soft pouch with a ring at each end: a thick, smaller ring at the closed end (the inner ring) and a thinner, larger ring at the open end (the outer ring).
Find a comfortable position. Standing with one foot up on a chair, squatting, or lying down all work. Squeeze the inner ring between your thumb and middle finger so it becomes narrow and flat, similar to how you’d pinch a tampon applicator. With the other hand, spread the labia, then slide the squeezed inner ring into the vagina. Using your index finger, push the inner ring as far up as it will go until it rests against the cervix. You’ll feel it settle into place behind the pubic bone, similar to where a diaphragm sits.
Once the inner ring is positioned, let go. The pouch should hang naturally, and about an inch of the condom along with the outer ring will remain outside the body, draping over the vaginal opening. If the condom looks twisted or bunched inside, slide a finger in and smooth it out. The outer ring lying flat against the vulva is normal and necessary for coverage.
Timing: You Can Insert It Early
One practical advantage of internal condoms is that you don’t need to pause in the moment. You can insert one up to eight hours before sex, which means protection is already in place when things progress naturally. This is a key difference from external (male) condoms, which require an erect penis and an interruption right before penetration.
During Sex
When your partner enters, make sure the penis goes inside the pouch, not alongside it between the condom and the vaginal wall. This is the most common mistake. If you feel the outer ring getting pushed inward, stop, add lubricant to the inside of the condom or to the penis, and reposition the outer ring outside the body.
Some slipping and movement of the condom is normal. The pouch isn’t meant to fit tightly the way an external condom does. It stays anchored by the inner ring behind the pubic bone and the outer ring resting against the vulva. A little shifting during sex doesn’t mean it’s failing.
Lubricant Compatibility
The FC2 (the only FDA-approved internal condom available in the U.S.) is made of nitrile and comes pre-lubricated with a silicone-based lubricant. Because nitrile is not latex, you can safely use any type of additional lubricant: water-based, silicone-based, or oil-based. This is a significant advantage over latex external condoms, which break down when exposed to oil-based products like coconut oil or petroleum jelly.
If things feel dry or you notice too much friction, adding lubricant inside the pouch or on the penis reduces the chance of the condom bunching up or being pushed out of position.
How to Remove It Safely
After sex, before standing up, squeeze and twist the outer ring to seal the open end shut, like closing a plastic bag. This traps semen inside and prevents spillage. Then gently pull the entire condom out. Wrap it in tissue and throw it in the trash. Internal condoms are single-use only, and they should never be flushed.
How Well It Works
With perfect use every time, internal condoms have a 5% failure rate per year, meaning 5 out of 100 people using them correctly for a full year would become pregnant. In real-world typical use, that number rises to 21%. The gap between perfect and typical use is larger than with some other methods, and it mostly comes down to inconsistent use or incorrect placement. The better your technique gets, the closer you move toward that 5% number.
Protection Against STIs
Internal condoms provide a physical barrier that HIV cannot pass through. They are effective at preventing STIs transmitted through bodily fluids, including gonorrhea and chlamydia. Because the outer ring covers part of the vulva, they may offer slightly more skin coverage than external condoms, though they still provide less protection against infections spread through skin-to-skin contact, like herpes, syphilis, and HPV.
Why Some People Prefer Them
Internal condoms solve several specific problems that external condoms don’t.
- Latex allergies. Nitrile is completely hypoallergenic, so anyone who reacts to latex condoms can use these without irritation.
- Comfort for the penetrating partner. The pouch is roomier than an external condom and doesn’t squeeze the penis, which some people find significantly more comfortable.
- User control. If your partner won’t wear a condom, the internal condom gives you a barrier method you control yourself.
- Sensation. The inner ring can stimulate the tip of the penis, and the outer ring rubs against the vulva and clitoris during sex, which some users find pleasurable.
- Advance insertion. Being able to put it in well before sex removes the awkward pause that comes with other barrier methods.
One Key Safety Rule
Never use an internal condom and an external condom at the same time. The friction between the two materials causes them to bunch up, shift out of place, or tear. One condom at a time provides full protection. Doubling up actually increases the chance of failure.
Where to Get Them
The FC2 Female Condom is the only FDA-approved internal condom sold in the U.S. You can find it at pharmacies, sexual health clinics, Planned Parenthood locations, and online retailers. They cost more per unit than most external condoms, typically ranging from $2 to $4 each, though many clinics offer them for free. No prescription is needed.