Turks embrace Female Condoms

Turkey: Embracing the Female Condom  [ Kadın Prezervatifi ]

ISTANBUL - September 27, 2008  Men have been using condoms for centuries, but statistics show that for most men it’s not their preference or practice. Enter the female condom in the last decade and responsibility for protection now falls to women as well. The Turkish Daily News surveys manufacturers, health professionals and women’s magazine editors about the potential for use among Turkey’s large youth population

  In recent years the condom has been modified for use by women and while its global popularity is on the rise, four universities and health professionals in Turkey are raising the profile of the female condom among young people. There are many types of protection but condoms have yielded the best results as a shield against sexually transmitted diseases. Known by various names around the world, it is called Femidom in Europe and Turkey. The Femidom has been on the Turkish market since 2001. Its manufacturer in Turkey, Alfatim, has brought in 400,000 YTL in sales since 2001. The conciseness of sexual protection is the same all around world. It's not more or less in different countries said Tuğrul Ağralı, chief executive officer of Alfatim. You have to use protection even if you are monogamous. This is the trend around the world. You never know which disease you can get from whom, Ağralı said, adding that the country's large young population was the ratianale for entering the market. It is easier to teach something new to young people, he said. Dr. Alper Mumcu, obstetrician/gynecologist at VKV American Hospital, said the main function of either condom is the same: to address the spread of sexually transmitted diseases as a global problem. Even if Femidom is not commonly used yet in Turkey, it must be supported, Mumcu said. 

No interruption, more feeling -  Femidom offers two features regular condoms do not. First, it leaves the choice of protection to the woman. Second, it is not made of latex like men's condoms but rather polyurethane that doesn't cause allergy. Polyurethane makes the transfer of the blood's heat possible, thus increasing the sensation of contact.

 The product was designed to fit a woman's genital organs and can be used during her menstual period. Women can begin wearing the condom up to eight hours before sexual intercourse, which prevents interruptions before and during intercourse.

  According to Dr. Alper Mumcu, men are not the only ones who prefer to forgo the condom. Research shows that women also demonstrate unwillingness to use protection. Because of the benefits Femidom offers during sex such as being difficult for men to feel, it might become more popular, Mumcu said.

Is it difficult to use it? -  According to Mumcu even though Femidom has more advantages than a conventional condom, women have expressed discomfort about putting something in their vaginas. Ağralı confesses that using Femidom for the first time can be difficult. He added that once a woman takes the box and sees how to use it, she will find that it is actually easy to use. “Especially women who use tampons will find using Femidom easier, he said. Three Femidoms come in a box for 20 YTL. The market share of Femidom in the condom market is 2-3 percent. Ağralı said that they are satisfied with Turkish market. “Our main goal is to generate a social awareness campaign. This is satisfying for us, Ağralı said.

  As a potential consumer and the editor-in-chief of Women's Health magazine, Deran Özer said that she had heard of Femidom and had not considered using it. She doesn't think women would be comfortable with Femidom when they already struggle with tampons. If the woman is demanding protection and is decisive, the man has no choice but to use a condom, Özer said.   

Explaining it to men -  Seda Ercan, the former editor-in-chief of Elele magazine, had also heard of the female condom and hasn't used it. According to Ercan increasing sexual protection methods is important for reaching more women and making them choose the way that is most comfortable for them.

  Ercan says she believes using Femidom cannot be very difficult and that it is important for sexual health. If only it were more prevalent. I think it's more practical for women to use her own condom instead of suggesting that her partner use one, Ercan said. The only way to increase their popularity is to explain how they work to men as well, so a man can also demand that his partner use Femidom.  Ercan, Özer, Mumcu and Ağralı agree that in Turkey people must first learn to talk about sex comfortably, then a product like Femidom can be widely introduced and explained to the market.  According to a survey by Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine conducted every four years, the ratio awareness of Femidom among other forms of protection is 19 percent. Through a collaboration of Cerrahpaşa University Faculty of Medicine, Eskişehir Osman Gazi University, Erzurum Atatürk University, Ankara Gazi University and Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine. When the product is explained well, people want to buy it, Ağralı said, adding that increasing sales is not their primary goal. Informing people and creating awareness is the' primary goal.

In recent years the condom has been modified for use by women and while its global popularity is on the rise, four universities and health professionals in Turkey are raising the profile of the female condom among young people. There are many types of protection but condoms have yielded the best results as a shield against sexually transmitted diseases. Known by various names around the world, it is called Femidom in Europe and Turkey.
ISTANBUL - Turkısh Daily News -By Fulya Çimen

PUSH Journal 27-09-2008 - The Femidom has been on the Turkish market since 2001. Its manufacturer in Turkey, Alfatim, has brought in 400,000 YTL in sales since 2001.
"The conciseness of sexual protection is the same all around world. It's not more or less in different countries" said Tugrul Agrali, chief executive officer of Alfatim. "You have to use protection even if you are monogamous. This is the trend around the world. You never know which disease you can get from whom," Agrali said, adding that the country's large young population was the ratianale for entering the market. "It is easier to teach something new to young people," he said.

Dr. Alper Mumcu, obstetrician/gynecologist at VKV American Hospital, said the main function of either condom is the same: to address the spread of sexually transmitted diseases as a global problem. "Even if Femidom is not commonly used yet in Turkey, it must be supported," Mumcu said.

According to a survey by Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine conducted every four years, the ratio awareness of Femidom among other forms of protection is 19 percent. Through a collaboration of Cerrahpasa University Faculty of Medicine, Eskisehir Osman Gazi University, Erzurum Ataturk University, Ankara Gazi University and Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine.
- PUSH Journal, 27 September 2008

- TERUG -