#gfcd

Dance4Demand in Support of Female Condoms!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014, marks the third annual Global Female Condom Day (GFCD) — a day of education and advocacy dedicated to increasing awareness, accessibility and use of female condoms worldwide. Individuals and organizations are advancing the global movement for female condoms by participating in this international day of action. GFCD is a collaborative effort between the National Female Condom Coalition (NFCC) and the Universal Access for Female Condoms (UAFC) Joint Programme. For more information, visit FemaleCondomDay.org. Connect with GFCD social media through #Dance4Demand, #GFCD2014, and #femalecondoms.

Sexual and reproductive health advocates in New York City, and around the world, will Dance4Demand this GFCD to call for the increased demand of this vital health product. Today, NYC Health will work with several community-based organizations, throughout the five boroughs of New York City, to highlight this highly effective sexual health tool. Lifebeat, a leading national nonprofit dedicated to educating America’s youth about HIV prevention, will be promoting the Health Department’s NYC Condom Availability Program (NYCAP) and GFCD at their events.

  FC2 in NYC

NYC Health has been distributing female condoms (also known as FC2s) since 1998.  In 2013, we distributed 1.3 million FC2s through thousands of condom distribution partners across the city.  A recent NYC Health evaluation found that while awareness of the FC2 was high, use was low among all populations.  Only 1 out of every 5 survey respondents reported ever using a FC2-- a statistic we will continue to work hard to increase.  A first step to increasing FC2 acceptance and use will be Dancing4Demand on Global Female Condom Day.    Women and men in NYC and across the globe will be dancing in parks, at community centers, schools, clinics and even the offices of public officials to clearly and categorically show their demand for the FC2.

The NYC Condom Availability Program will be at the following locations Dancing 4 Demand!

  Monday September 15th, 2014

Manhattan: Lifebeat at Irving Plaza 6-8PM

  Tuesday September 16th, 2014

Bronx: BOOM! Health at Fordham Road and Grand Concourse (overpass) 10AM-2PM

Brooklyn: CAMBA at 885 Flatbush Ave 12-4PM

Manhattan: Washington Heights Corner Project at 181st & St. Nicholas 11AM-3PM

Lifebeat at Times Square 1-3PM                               

Queens: Queens Pride House at 76-19 Roosevelt Ave 2-6PM

In celebration of Global Female Condom Day we can give you 12 important reasons not to shun this awesome yet overlooked safe sex option. Read the full list here: http://condommonologues.com/12-reasons-to-love-female-condoms/

1) It can be inserted hours before sex! No erection needed.

The design on an internal condom opens the door to a whole new world of safe sex. No interruptive “wait, let’s find a condom” moment. No fumbling to stretch one over the penis in an attempt at foreplay. And, perhaps most importantly, the receptive partner can be preemptive and put one on without negotiating protection in the first place.

2) Negotiation power is altered.

The receptive partner can take control of their safety independently.

A number of health organizations in North America and abroad have been working to increase access to female condoms for sex workers and communities with high HIV infection rates, where use of traditional roll-on condom is low despite abundent availablilty.

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5) May be used for anal sex (but it is not FDA approved for this use).

No condom (male or female) currently available on the market has actually been tested for protective anal sex (in fact, only until this year has the first FDA testing for protective anal sex ever taken place). Despite the fact that the Female Health Company does not advocate using FC2 for anal sex because it is not FDA approved for such use, there are still men, women and transgender folks who do use it for these needs.