NEW YORK (Nov. 16, 2009)—The second-generation FC2 female condom soon will be distributed in New York by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
The city already is the nation's largest FC1 female condom distributor, according to Female Health Co. The firm won approval for the U.S. market for its second-generation product from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this year.
In 2008, New York's Health Department provided more than 900,000 FC1 female condoms to hospitals, health clinics, community-based organizations, and local screening centers for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Assistant Commissioner Dr. Monica Sweeney of the Health Department's Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control said the availability of a more cost-effective female condom for the U.S. market will help New York City ensure affordable access to methods for the prevention of pregnancy, HIV, and other STIs.
The FC2 is made of nitrile rubber, a change from the first generation, which was made of polyurethane.