The issue of STIs, especially HIV/AIDs, is recently getting the attention of policymakers, strategists, humanitarian organizations, health professionals, and other stakeholders with a sign of devotion to combat. Among many prevention mechanisms employed long ago, the most commonly known were male and female condoms. The aggressive and all-rounded efforts of the public, private and humanitarian institutions to reduce STIs in the past have been fruitful. The weakened collaboration on the issue by stakeholders later on, however, paved the way for the STIs to explode and spread faster again. Market research on female condom consumption has become one of the important activities to explore the problem.

These females' condoms market research has used comprehensive and inclusive data generating instruments/ tools. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect quality data from 577 traditional outlets - 297 pharmacies, 142 clinics, 115 drugstores, 13 health centers, and 10 hospitals, and a total of seventeen FGDs specifically 7 FC users FGDs and 10 non- FC users FGD administered.

The quantitative data draws perceptive and professional judgment from health providers at those outlets covered while the qualitative information collected is from direct users and non-user of females' condoms and was used to complement the quantitative data with experiential information. Besides, descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were employed for the analysis and interpretation of results to enable the researchers to explain the trends of the females' condom market and propose the corresponding strategic implications and recommendations.

Among seventeen hypothesized variables assumed to determine FC demand, lack of awareness, lack of knowledge on how to use, unavailability of promotional materials at the outlet level, lack of access, difficulty to insert, discomfort with use, and limited supply channels have been supported both with quantitative and qualitative results. On the other hand, quantitative evidence reveals the significance of variables like socio-cultural, religious and fear,  stigma, and embarrassment. However, qualitative evidence challenged their significance on FC demand. Furthermore, the impact/significance of price on demand for FC was disregarded with both qualitative and quantitative evidence. On the other hand,  the qualitative results support the significant impact of difficulty of insertion to hamper the demand for FC.

Out of 577 respondents, about 98% confirmed that the demand for FC is very low. Health providers’ perception and understanding of females' condom market dividers indicate that level of users’ awareness is also as low as 7%. The scarcity of users’ knowledge about the benefits and knowledge on how to use FC constitutes only 3.7%. the social and cultural barriers are the other factors that limit females' condom demand. The research also found that promotional materials that have been used were inadequate and ineffective to motivate the demand for FC. Besides, more than 95 % of users' and non-users' focus group discussions substantiate and complement these findings from quantitative data.

Awareness and demand creation activities for women's condoms using various promotional tools and techniques such as mass media, community awareness training, and health education at private and public health facilities are potential areas that can be used to enhance the demand for FC. Besides, availing posters and pamphlets/ leaflets at traditional outlets, appropriate training to health professionals at different levels that enable them to recommend the device as a contraceptive and a lifesaving tool trigger and stimulate female condom demand at outlets and health facilities. The created demand, in turn, creates a high frequency of request for FC at outlets which induce them to look for suppliers for consistent supplies like DKT/Ethiopia to avail FC for sale, and hence make it consistently accessible for users. Therefore, awareness creation together with training techniques of use for health providers plays a pivotal role in promoting the female condom market and its uptake.

Finally, interpersonal communications and peer advertising and promotion approach through appropriate intervention areas for expected female condom users target groups have a tremendous contribution to female condom market challenges resolutions.

• Condom
• Brand
• Equity
• Female Condom
• STI
• HIV/AIDS
• Traditional outlets
• Pregnancy prevention
• Nontraditional outlets
• Consumer perceptions

The dataset creator does not mention the suggested citation

Market assessment of females' condom study dataset includes variables such as socio-demographic characteristics of respondents including sex, age, marital status, religion, educational level, the field of specialization, and years of experience. Other variables are related to respondents’ perceptions and recommendations on the experience of FC selling.  Besides, the source of the females' condoms for suppliers and distributors was also included in the dataset.

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