192 chapter 9: Family planning
If you really want to use the female condom, but your disability makes it
difficult, try sitting or lying down in different positions, or ask your partner or
another person to help you.
It is best to use a new female condom every time you have sex. But, if you
cannot get a new one, you can clean and reuse a female condom up to 7 times.
How to clean a condom for women
Before having sex, prepare a large cup of bleach (Cloro, Clorox, etc.) mixed
with water (1 part powder or liquid bleach to 20 parts
clean water). Bleach kills HIV.
After sex, take the condom out of your vagina. Be
careful not to spill any of the man’s semen. Right away,
pour half the bleach solution into the condom, and
then put the filled condom into the remaining bleach
solution.
Let the condom soak for 5 minutes only. Do not try to clean the condom
in any way before putting it into the bleach.
Wash your hands with mild soap, and use the soap
bubbles on your hands to gently wash off the bleach and
any remaining body fluids or lubrication, both outside and
inside the condom, including the inner ring (do not rub a
bar of soap directly on to the condom or it may break).
Use clean water to rinse off the soap bubbles from the ring and from
both the inside and outside of the condom.
Dry gently the inside and outside of the condom with a
clean cloth, or leave it to dry in the air.
Check the condom for holes by holding
it up to the light. If there is even a tiny hole,
throw the condom away and get a new one. Some change
in color is OK. If there are no holes, store in a clean, dry
place until next use.
Before using it again, lubricate the condom with a water-based lubricant.
For the female condom you can also use vegetable oil or vegetable
shortening. Because the female condom is not made from latex, it is OK
to use some oils. But do not use peanut or groundnut oil, or lotions that
contain lanolin or perfume, as these can all cause an allergic skin reaction.
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities 2007