This four-week online forum on the female condom runs from 26 October to 22 November 2005. Co-sponsored by PATH, WHO and The INFO Project (at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs), the forum follows a Global Consultation on the Female Condom, held in September in Baltimore, USA. The consultation developed a Plan of Action to accelerate access to and use of the female condom in developing countries. The online forum will reflect the themes of the consultation, including: evidence of the female condom's effectiveness in preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs); and learning about country programme experiences.

During Week 1 of the forum, the theme for discussion is Sharing Country Experiences with the Female Condom. In Week 2 (November 2-8), it will be the current Status of Research Findings. In Week 3 (November 9-15), the theme will be New Products in Development, and in Week 4 (November 16-22) it will be Expanding Access and Use. To sign up for the forum, send an e-mail to info@ibpinitiative.org with "female condom" in the subject line. Please include in your e-mail: 1. your given name and surname; 2. the organisation where you work; 3. the country where you work. [adapted from author]