Female Condom: How It Works and How to Use It

Symptom	First action	Planning use
Packet looks torn or has holes	Do not use it. Discard it and open a new one.	Check the packet before you open it, and open it with your fingers.
Penis seems to be beside the condom rather than inside it	Stop and check that the penis is inside the condom, not between the condom and the vagina.	Hold the outer ring steady when the penis first enters.
Condom is noisy or slips	Change position or add lubricant inside the condom.	Keep lubricant within reach before you start.
Condom came out of place, or none was used	The emergency contraceptive pill is available from pharmacies.	Act on pregnancy risk promptly, and ask a clinician about HIV if you are at risk.
Condom was already used once	Throw it away and use a new one.	Plan one new condom for each act of sex.

These first actions follow the Family Planning NSW female condom factsheet and the Every Woman’s Health Centre guide to internal condoms.

Here is how to use a female condom: squeeze the inner ring, insert it as far as it will go, leave the outer ring outside, and guide the penis into the sheath. Use a new condom every time.

The internal condom is one barrier option within women’s HIV prevention. Most problems come from a handful of small slips, so each step below is paired with the fix for the symptom that usually follows when it goes wrong.

The internal condom and its two rings

The FC2 female condom, also called an internal condom, is a thin, soft pouch that sits in the vagina. Family Planning NSW describes it as 17 cm long with two flexible rings, one at each end. The inner ring is closed and goes inside. The outer ring is open and stays outside the body.

Knowing which ring does what makes every later step easier. You squeeze and insert the closed inner ring. You leave the open outer ring in view, because it is the part you hold at the start and the part you twist when you finish.

The pouch is made of nitrile. As Every Woman’s Health Centre notes, all internal female condoms are non-latex, so the material is nitrile rather than latex.

Inserting it step by step

Work through these actions in order, ideally before any genital contact with a partner. Take your time on the first attempt. Nothing in the process needs force, and the placement is easier when you are not rushing.

1. Check the packet. Look for tears or holes before you open it. A damaged packet means a new condom.
2. Open it with your fingers. Teeth and long nails can tear the condom, so tear the packet open by hand and take the condom out.
3. Squeeze the inner ring. Pinch the edges of the closed inner ring together so it becomes a narrow shape that is easier to insert.
4. Insert the closed end. Place the squeezed end into the vagina and push it as far as possible, as described in the Family Planning NSW factsheet.
5. Leave the outer ring outside. The open ring should stay outside the vagina and rest against the labia. Check that the condom has not twisted on the way in.

If the sheath looks twisted, correct it before sex rather than during it. A condom that is straight and fully inside is the starting point for everything that follows.

Using it with a partner

Agree before you begin that you will use the condom and who will guide entry. A short conversation first keeps the moment of entry calm, and that moment is where the technique matters most.

When the penis is first inserted, hold the outer ring. Every Woman’s Health Centre advises this so that the penis goes inside the condom. It is the single most useful habit to build, because it keeps the ring in place and steers the penis into the sheath rather than around it.

If you are the partner with the condom, you can steady the ring with a hand while your partner enters. If your partner is guiding, tell them where the opening is. Either way, the goal is the same: the penis ends up inside the pouch for the whole of intercourse.

Removal and disposal

Removal is simple, but it is where fluids can spill if the condom is pulled out carelessly. Squeeze and twist the outer ring so the contents stay inside, then pull the condom out gently. Do this before you stand up, as advised by Every Woman’s Health Centre.

Wrap the used condom in tissue and put it in the rubbish bin. Family Planning NSW says not to flush it down the toilet.

Each condom is for one act of sex only. Open a fresh one next time, even if you are using it again within a short period.

Common mistakes and how to correct them

The slips below are the ones the supporting guidance names. Each pairs a symptom with a practical fix, so you can recognise the problem and respond without guessing.

The penis goes beside the condom

• Symptom: entry feels different from what you expected, or the outer ring moves with the penis.
• Fix: stop and make sure the penis is in the condom and not between the condom and the vagina, as Family Planning NSW instructs. Holding the outer ring at entry is the best prevention.

The condom is noisy or moves

• Symptom: squeaking, or a sense that the condom is shifting during sex.
• Fix: change positions or add lubricant inside the condom, the two remedies suggested by Every Woman’s Health Centre. The same clinic recommends generous lubricant inside the condom from the start if you find it noisy.

The condom is reused or flushed

• Symptom: you are tempted to reuse a condom that looks intact, or to flush it for convenience.
• Fix: treat every condom as single use and put it in the bin. A new condom each time is the rule, whatever the condition of the old one.

The condom came out of place, or was not used

• Symptom: the condom has been dislodged, or sex took place without one.
• Fix: the emergency contraceptive pill is available from pharmacies. If you think you are at risk of HIV, Family Planning NSW says PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) can lower the risk of transmission, so speak to a clinician quickly.

How well it protects against pregnancy and HIV

Correct technique matters because the real-world figure is lower than the best-case figure. Family Planning NSW states that the condom is up to 95% effective at preventing pregnancy when used correctly. Every Woman’s Health Centre reports that on average 21 people out of 100 get pregnant when using internal condoms, which is about 79% effective in everyday use. The gap is a reason to follow the steps closely, not a reason to skip the method.

For infections, the answer to whether a female condom can prevent HIV is yes. Every Woman’s Health Centre says condoms protect against STIs including chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV. Family Planning NSW adds that the female condom is at least as effective as the male condom at preventing STIs. Protection depends on the condom staying in place and being used correctly each time, which is why the mistakes above deserve attention.

If your partner is living with HIV and you want to understand your options in that situation, read HIV prevention when partner is positive.

Frequently asked questions

Question	Answer
Can I put the condom in ahead of time?	Yes. Every Woman’s Health Centre says to insert it right before sex or up to 6 hours before intercourse, and most people insert it 2 to 20 minutes before. Family Planning NSW also says it can be put in any time before sex.
Do I need to use lubricant with a female condom?	Not necessarily. The FC2 is pre-lubricated, and extra lubricant is optional. According to Family Planning NSW, it works with any type, whether water-based, silicone-based or oil-based.
Can I use a female condom and a male condom together?	No. Family Planning NSW states that a female condom cannot be used with a male condom. If you are choosing between them, female condom vs male condom compares the two.