SOUTH AFRICA: Manqoba, "It was strange – it sticks out in a funny way"

JOHANNESBURG, 3 September 2009 (PlusNews) - On Saturdays, Manqoba*, 30, often hangs out at the informal car wash his friends run in Spruitview, a township east of Johannesburg, South Africa's biggest city.

They chat about soccer, girls and politics - definitely not female condoms. Manqoba, a university graduate, gave IRIN/PlusNews a male perspective on a "first time" with the female condom.

"I used it once with my girlfriend. I'd never considered using one before, but there were no conventional [male] condoms [in the house] and my girlfriend thought it would be cool – she will try anything because it's new. Being the sucker for adventure that I am, I tried it; yes, I used a female condom.

"My girlfriend made me hide my head under the blankets while she put it on because she didn't want me to see her in a compromising position, and it took longer to put on than a male condom, which was frustrating.

"It was strange – it sticks out in a funny way and it's like there's too much plastic 'there', if you ask me. I was a bit scared for her to use it because it looked like something that would just, you know, get swallowed up. When you're having sex, you have to make sure [the plastic] is still sticking out.

"It wasn't particularly nice ... it felt kind of like the same as a conventional [male condom]. I liked the fact that she had to worry about getting a condom, for once.

"For some reason my girlfriend wasn't crazy about it, and she still insists she's not. I don't think she enjoyed the experience more than she normally does with an ordinary condom.

"It hasn't hit the big time, this condom, has it? I've never really discussed it with my friends - I don't know what they do in bed, but I don't know if they would try this."

*not his real name

llg/he

Theme (s): Gender Issues, HIV/AIDS (PlusNews), Prevention - PlusNews,

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]