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The female condom

I don’t know about you, but until now, I had never heard of it. Thanks to a news item on Galileo, reported by UAAR Ultimissime: on 8 March, LILA, the Italian League for the fight against AIDS, distributed the Femidom, the female condom, free of charge in some Italian squares.
To understand what it is in detail, the LILA has also produced an information page and a video(viewing is recommended for adults) specifying where to find it.
As mentioned in the article on Galileo, you do not hear about it in Italy, either from gynaecologists (I confirm I was with a gynaecologist recently, but she did not tell me about it) or in consultants while abroad; it is considered as a valid alternative.
Here, it is more likely to be found in sex shops; the reason is unclear (cultural reasons, says the article).
Apart from the price of 7.90 euros for a box of three condoms (relatively high), I recommend its use.
For several reasons: first of all, unlike the pill, it protects against infections (and I’m not just talking about HIV, but also all those infections that are not deadly but at least annoying), it does not require a prescription and has no side effects; secondly, and fundamentally, it allows you to be independent (I won’t dwell on this concept because I think it is easy to guess what and how many advantages it can bring).
Thirdly, it is made of polyurethane and therefore hypoallergenic (this is not a minor problem, on the contrary: if you have ever felt discomfort after using a condom, it may be that you are allergic; allergies of this kind are increasingly common).
Probably one of the first objections is that it seems complicated to use; the film, which explains its use, shows that it is not that difficult, or at least no more so than the male condom. Moreover, it has the undeniable advantage of being inserted hours earlier without problems.
Since it’s not nice to preach well but do poorly, I decided to go and buy a box in one of the pharmacies in Milan.
I visited three pharmacies
– a medium-sized municipal pharmacy with two displays, one over-the-counter and one floor-standing, with various prophylactics but no Femidom; in the floor-standing display, there are also gift boxes and rings together with children’s toys. Femidom can be ordered.
– a small pharmacy, on one of Milan’s main streets, with a single display, where along with the condoms, there is also an intimate deodorant, but no Femidom. I did not ask if it could be ordered because there was a long queue.
– a large pharmacy near one of Milan’s main railway stations, part of a chain of pharmacies that also offer discounts on non-medicinal products. They have a big floor display full of condoms, rings and whatnot, but no Femidom. I ordered it from them, and it will arrive around three o’clock this afternoon.
In short, it’s not the fault of my proverbial distraction that I never saw a box.
If nothing else, I now know that it is not complicated to buy one.
But have you ever seen it? Have you ever read about it?

On air: De-Phazz, Un Ange Passe

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