Each week, artist Erika Moen explores some aspect of sex and reports back on the result for Oh Joy Sex Toy. This week: The internal condom!

Read more sex-positive comics by Erika Moen, including one about a Star Trek-worthy vibrator.

Want more from Erika Moen? Oh Joy, Sex Toy: Volume One is 268 pages of sex tips, interviews, sex toy reviews, and more! Get your autographed copy at BitchMart.

Here is a text transcription of the comic to make it more accessible for people using screen readers. Transcription by Morgan Kelly.

Erika introduces this comic, “One of you Dear Perverts sent Matthew and me a whole bunch of internal condoms! Specifically, the FC2 Female Condom.” Below, a diagram indicates “The Deets” of the FC2 Female Condom, including price, material, shape, and effectiveness. “With perfect use: 95% effective. With typical use: 79% effective.”

“The Internal Condom is a pouch that is inserted into the vagina for intercourse. It can also be used anally, but we went the vaginal route so that’s the perspective we’ll be taking in this review.” Erika provides a diagram of an internal condom inserted into a vagina, the diagram indicates the following: the internal condom, vagina, cervix, vulva, labia minora, clitoris, pubic bone, bladder, and anus.

Erika next provides directions for insertion, “Add some lube to the outside of condom. Squeeze the closed-end ring. Push inside vagina, past pubic bone. Open end remains outside, covering vulva. Add lube to penis, insert into vagina. Have fun!”

Matthew explains, “This was brand new territory for us, neither of us had ever actually seen one of these in real life before.” Erika adds, “Because of my inexperience and exceptionally short fingers, I found putting it in deep enough to be a bit of a challenge. But that’s totally something more practice would correct. And once you’ve inserted the inside ring, you can also use your partner’s cock to push it deeper if you’ve got nubby little hands like I do.”

Matthew jumps in to say, “It does feel better on your dick. One hundred times better feeling than an ultra thin external condom. With an external condom, the penis is completely wrapped up, so there’s less friction on your dick. The condom absorbs most of that action, not you. With the internal condom, however, it’s loosely lining the vaginal walls. As you’re fucking, there’s actual friction on your cock. Which feels wonderful! With enough lube, I would even say it’s ALMOST as good as bareback. And that’s saying something!” Erika shrugs and says, “No complaints from me! It didn’t make much difference to me one way or the other.”

Matthew says, “But I gotta be honest, I did not find the internal condom to be a romantic sign. Chalk it up to watching a lot of porn, but I find an external condom to be quite a pleasant sight. Almost like cock decoration that says-“ Then a penis wearing a condom winks and says, “Hey baby, we’re about to fuck.” Matthew continues, “When you look down, you see a loose bag around your dick and, sure, it feels good, but it’s no visual treat. From the outside, the internal condom looks like a large version of the knotted part of a balloon. That you… slip your penis into.”

Matthew raises his shoulders and says, “…And honestly, it’s a turn off. For me.” Erika says, “But that’s just because you’re not used to seeing it. It they showed up in porn and were as common as external condoms, it wouldn’t have been so visually jarring for you.” Matthew agrees, “Yeah, that’s true.”

Erika asks, “So will we use them again?” Matthew says, “Well… probably not. We don’t need to use barrier protection (we’re fluid-bonded, and use an IUD for contraception) and the internal condom didn’t bring anything new to our sexy times – (unlike an external condom, which can be fun to wear when you want to last a long time or have some sexy role play where you pretend to be strangers!).”

Erika concludes this comic by adding, “But they are excellent for other couples who are looking for an alternative to external condoms.” Erika includes a list of “Internal Condom Pros”:

•Can be inserted long before any sexy times start, so you don’t need to interrupt anything to put on protection.

•Latex Free.

•Penis does not need to be erect for the condom to be effective (good option for people who have trouble maintain erections).

•Increased sensation for the penis-haver.

•Empowers the vagina-haver to be in charge of protecting themselves, not dependent on the other partner to use protection.

•Can be used during menstruation.