New and Improved Female Condom Helps Combat HIV/AIDS in DC

For years we have all been hearing about the importance of safe sex. And since the beginning of the safe sex movement that typically meant one thing — using a male condom.

But now health officials in Washington, D.C., are pushing a new safe sex initiative aimed directly at women, one that provides them with a different type of condom: a new and improved version of the female condom.

"HIV and AIDS has declared war on our communities, particularly on African-American women," Dr. Celia Maxwell of the Howard University Women's Health Institute told CNN. "And I feel we are justified as healthcare providers to look for every single avenue to fight back."

Fighting back seems critical when you consider that HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death for African-American between 25-34 nationwide.

Washington has one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the country, and city officials are admirably taking a proactive approach to fighting this potentially deadly, yet preventable condition. Thanks to a half-million dollar grant from MAC Cosmetics, the city's HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD and TB Administration is handing out 500,000 free female condoms — known as fc2 — in places like beauty and nail salons and carry-outs in Wards 7 and 8, where infection rates are the highest, according to FOX 5 in D.C.

"If it's used properly and if it's not damaged I would see the effectiveness would be about the same as a male condom," said Dr. Maxwell.

Gerald Armstrong owns the Lamar Edward Salon in D.C. eagerly began distributing female condoms to his customers, and is allowing health officials to come in and demonstrate how to use them properly.

"It gives the women some sense of empowerment about their own protection. We talk about beauty and hair and makeup — things to make them feel better. We should start talking about things to help them live longer," he told CNN.

For more information on the Washington, D.C., efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, click here.

Photo by Anya Grzywacz via Wikimedia Commons.