Female Health Company’s female condom has received a unanimous backing by the FDA advisory panel. The new condom is a less costly version of the female condom.

The advisors feel that the low cost would attract more users. The softer material  could  also win the trust of American women. It would also attract more organizations to distribute the condoms. Thus, this new version of version of the female condom could bring down the spread of AIDS.

The Female Health Company (FHC), which has its headquarters in Chicago, IL, is the manufacturer of the FC1 Female Condom and the FC2 Female Condom. The female condoms not only offer prevention methods against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, but also unintended pregnancy.

"We are very pleased with today's outcome and look forward to working with the FDA as it continues to review our application for the FC2 Female Condom," said Dr. Mary Ann Leeper, FHC's Senior Strategic Advisor.

Female Health's original female condom got the FDA approval in 1993 to prevent pregnancy as well as sexually transmitted diseases. But unlike the male condom, it has not been able to achieve widespread use. Just 10 percent of its 34.7 million unit sales in 2008 were in the United States. A major factor in lower sales of the female condom is its price. A variety of male condoms are available  for as little as 50 cents each, while the current Female Condom runs between $2.80 and $4 a piece.

The FC1 version requires welding sheets of polyurethane to form a sheath, then welding rings at each end. The newer one i.e FC2 is made of synthetic rubber. This could be helpful in bringing down the cost of the condom.