The female condom was launched in India on Friday for the first time. The condom is designed to protect women against sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.

The product, without any known side effects, widens the alternatives available to prevent the spread of STD, particularly AIDS, Family Welfare Secretary P K Hota said.

"It would strengthen the national AIDS prevention programme by reducing female dependence upon his male partner to practice safe sex," he said.

Terming the launch a beginning of a long war, Hota said, "The challenges before us is to ensure that it is affordable and widely used by women."

Health Secretary J V R Prasada Rao said, "While making strategies to increase its usability, we will have to consider culture, education and buying capacity of the people."

"Because of their anatomy they are four times more vulnerable to the sexually transmitted diseases," said M Ayyappan, managing director of the Thiruvananthapuram-based Hindustan Latex Company, which launched the condom.

The company would manufacture and market the product with UK-based Female Health Company, he added.