FDA Approves
Women's Condom

The Food and Drug Administration has recently approved a second-generation female condom manufactured by the Female Health Company.

The FC2 Female Condom, which helps protect against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, will be available for purchase in the United States and for distribution to global HIV/AIDS programs.

The condom, which functions comparably to the company's first-generation contraceptive, costs less than the original thanks to a new material that allows for a highly automated manufacturing process.

"Today's approval of FC2 -- a lower-cost, second-generation female condom -- is an important development in efforts to deliver affordable access to woman-initiated HIV prevention in the United States and around the world," Mary Ann Leeper, FHC's senior strategic adviser, told the Associated Press.