I was unsure about these when I saw them. Really, I thought, what is the point? Standard male condoms work just fine, and these just look awkward. One of my lovers, however, has made a believer out of me. It turns out that the female condom has some distinct advantages over the male condom.

They have almost no flavor or scent, which is great. The lube that comes on them is fairly slick and the individual condom package doesn't list the ingredients, so either memorize what is in them, or keep them in the box so you can check if you need to. I have bad reactions to many lubes, so we rinsed off the outside before using them.

The condom itself appears almost like a deflated balloon, or an already stretched out condom. There is a ring at one end, from which the condom hangs, and a smaller internal ring to help hold it in place within. I'll come back to that in a moment.

The individual wrapper did have fairly simple to understand instructions (via graphics) but I still found it difficult to insert the ring by myself. Those with fewer flexibility issues might not have as much difficulty; if you have ever used a Diva Cup, it is similar to that experience, only with the condom hanging out and therefore somewhat in one's way. I imagine it is similar to inserting a diaphragm as well, though I haven't done that so cannot compare. It was easier, it turned out to let my partner insert it, since his angle was better.

We also tried removing the internal ring (I could not resist the urge to put it on as bracelet) and put the condom on him, then inserted it by inserting his now condom-covered penis, and that worked very well. Experience shows that if you do use this condom, generously squirting your favorite lube (I used a water based one I'm fond of) *into* the condom before he puts his penis in give him a better experience, and keeps the friction of his cock from tugging the condom out of place, even without the internal ring. Really, I couldn't feel it once he had it in any more than I can feel a male condom.

The biggest advantage, in my opinion, is that the Female Condom is less dependent on a fully erect penis for use. Concerns about losing the condom if he loses any portion of his erection go out the window. Not only does this make him more comfortable, since he can relax and not worry so much about checking what he is feeling for potential "oops", it also means I get my post-coital-still-inside snuggle once we've climaxed. One of my least favorite parts of safer sex is that I have to miss out on that so that the condom can be removed while he is still firm enough not to leave it inside me. The female condom eliminates that problem completely, which is fabulous!

Three stars out of five, only because I wish they had a non-lubricated variety for those of us with "issues", and because the price makes them impractical for those of us with active sex lives.