How effective is the sponge with spermicide?
About 27 of 100 will get pregnant while using the sponge, an effectiveness rate of 73%. By comparison, male condoms are 87% effective, and birth control pills are 93% effective.
Does the sponge release spermicide?
How does the sponge work? The sponge prevents pregnancy two ways: It fits snugly against your cervix, blocking the entrance to your uterus so sperm can’t get to your egg. The sponge also contains spermicide, which slows sperm down so it can’t reach your egg.
What is the chance of getting pregnant while using sponge with spermicide?
If you have given birth and always use the sponge perfectly every time you have sex, it’s about 80% effective — that means that 20 out of 100 sponge-users would get pregnant within a year. But in real life, using the sponge perfectly can be hard.
How do you use a spermicide sponge?
Before sex, you put some water on the contraceptive sponge, gently squeeze it to activate its spermicide, and then insert it into the vagina. The sponge covers the cervix, held in place by vaginal muscles.
Why did they discontinue the sponge?
Originally developed in the 1980s, the Today Sponge was pulled off the market in 1994 after inspectors from the Food and Drug Administration found bacterial contamination at its manufacturing plant.
Do they still make the sponge birth control?
You can buy the Today Sponge over-the-counter at pharmacies, drugstores, and some supermarkets and grocery stores. It’s also available on the Today Sponge website and other online retailers. Some family planning clinics and Planned Parenthood health centers carry the sponge as well.
Do they still sell the Today Sponge?
Do they still make the Today Sponge?
The Today sponge “was manufactured until 1995, when FDA imposed new manufacturing standards.” The product had several setbacks while marketed, including a link to toxic shock syndrome.
What is a disadvantage of using the contraceptive sponge?
What are the disadvantages of the sponge? The sponge doesn’t prevent pregnancy as well as IUDs or hormonal forms of birth control. It prevents pregnancy only if you use it every time you have intercourse. The sponge doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as herpes or HIV.
Why was the vaginal sponge discontinued?
PIP: The vaginal sponge, an over-the-counter spermicidal contraceptive, will no longer be available to US women. Whitehall-Robins Healthcare, which began manufacturing the sponge in 1983, has ceased manufacturing this product allegedly because of stringent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements.