A nurse has appealed to couples to use the female condom because it promotes natural sensation during sex, apart from helping to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Mad. Millicent Kokui Heloo, Principal Nursing Officer, Public Health, at the Volta Regional Health Directorate, said this at the media launch of a National Family Planning campaign scheduled for Ho on October 2.

The theme for the campaign is “Your future, your choice, your contraceptive.”

Madam Heloo, who demonstrated the use of the female condom, said “it is safe, and reliably prevents sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and enables women to take control of their reproductive health.”

She said before the packet containing the female condom is opened, it must be squeezed gently between the fingers for it to be properly lubricated. The packet should then be opened gently from the top at the point of an arrow downwards, using the finger rather than a pair of scissors, knife or blade.

Mad. Heloo said the ring at the lower end of the condom should be squeezed into an eight shape and pushed gently into the vagina using the finger, lying down or raising one’s leg in a standing position.

Madam Heloo said the upper end of the condom must cover the outer skin of the vagina properly.

She said the female condom could be inserted into the vagina eight hours before sex.

Dr Winfred Ofosu, Deputy Director in charge of Public Health, Volta Regional Health Directorate, advised women to immediately report at the Family Health Facilities for help if they realized that semen had mistakenly entered into the vagina while using condoms during sex.