ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors conduct the public conference forum in Brazil on the use of the female condom. Interventionists discussed the advantages of the female condom, including its importance as a woman-controlled device and its utility in the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases. The female condom, made of rubber with a steel coil rim, was introduced during the twentieth century. Throughout much of the Americas, the female condom is marketed by the Female Health Company under the name of Reality. A number of studies tested the acceptability of the female condom among both women and men. The initial reactions from women at a significant risk for HIV infection were far more positive. Given the traditionally low rates of male condom usage in both general and high-risk populations in the United States and abroad, it was important to assess Brazilian women's attitudes and reactions to this new HIV risk reduction device.
