Contraceptive sponge

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Contraceptive sponge

The contraceptive sponge combines mechanical and chemical methods to prevent fertilization in women . Its Pearl Index is given as 5 to 10.

Three brands are sold: Pharmatex, Protectaid and Today. Pharmatex is available in France and the Canadian province of Québec , Protectaid in the rest of Canada and Europe, and Today in the United States .

Contraceptive sponges work in two ways. On the one hand, the sponge is inserted into the vagina so that it covers the cervix and thus prevents sperm from entering. On the other hand, the sponges are made with spermicide inside, which also has a contraceptive effect.

Contraceptive sponges must be inserted vaginally and placed on the cervix prior to intercourse to be effective. They do not offer any protection against sexually transmitted diseases .

Contraceptive safety

The manufacturer of the Today brand sponge indicates the effectiveness of preventing pregnancy with 89% to 91% when used correctly and consistently. If the manufacturer's instructions are only partially disregarded, efficacies between 84% and 89% are reported. Other sources indicate lower chances for women who have given birth at least once: 74% with correct and consistent use and 68% with usual use.

Studies put the success rate of Protectaid brand sponges at 77% to 91%.

According to studies, sponges of the Pharmatex brand have a contraception probability of over 99% per year when used perfectly. The usual use of Pharmatex sponges leads to a probability of over 81% per year.

application

Contraceptive sponges can be combined with other contraceptive methods to make them more effective. They should not be used during menstruation , with vaginal infections, or shortly after childbirth.

To use the Today sponge, it must be thoroughly moistened with tap water. For this you need about 30 ml of water. The water is used to activate the spermicide trapped in the sponge. No additional spermicide is needed. The Protectaid and Pharmatex brand sponges are packaged ready-to-use.

The contraceptive sponge can be used up to 24 hours before sexual intercourse. After intercourse, it must remain in place for at least 2 to 6 hours, depending on the brand. Depending on the brand, it should not be worn for more than 12 to 30 hours at a time.

After a sponge has been removed after intercourse, it should not be used again.

history

This contraceptive has been unavailable in some markets for a period of time since its introduction.

Today sponge

The Today sponge was developed from 1976 and introduced in the USA in 1983. In 1994 it was taken off the market again. From March 2003 it was available again in Canada, and in the USA from September 2005. After the manufacturer's parent company declared its bankruptcy in 2007, the brand was not available until its re-launch in 2009.

Pharmatex sponge

The Pharmatex sponge was introduced in France and the Canadian province of Quebec in 1984.

Protectaid sponge

The Protectaid sponge was introduced in Canada in 1996 and in Europe in 2000.

Spermicide

In addition to the mechanical mode of action of the contraceptive sponge, the spermicide as a chemical component is of great importance. The different brands each use different compositions.

A Today sponge contains 1000 mg of nonoxinol 9 . A Protectaid sponge contains 5000 mg F5 gel with three active ingredients (6.25 mg nonoxinol 9; 6.25 mg benzalkonium chloride and 25 mg cholic acid ). One Pharmatex sponge contains 60 mg benzalkonium chloride.

Side effects

Some people are allergic to the spermicide used. Women who use contraceptive sponges are at an increased risk of candidosis and urinary tract infections . Improper use, such as removing the sponge too late, can lead to toxic shock syndrome .

The spermicide nonoxinol 9, which is contained in a high dose in the Today sponge, can lead to certain risks for people who use sponges of this brand several times a day. Here, Nonoxinol 9 can cause skin irritation, which increases the likelihood of transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Representation in popular culture

  • Shortly after the contraceptive sponge was withdrawn from the US market, it played an important role in episode 119 The Sponge of the sitcom Seinfeld . In this episode, Elaine Benes rations her remaining Today sponges by refusing to have intercourse until she is sure her partner is sponge-worthy .
  • In the movie Clueless - What Else! (1995) there is a scene in which Dionne Davenport and Tai Frasier discuss sexual intercourse and Dionne asks him whether the sponge also works during intercourse in the water.
  • In the 1994 television series Welcome to Life , Angela is advised by the doctor to use a contraceptive sponge if she is contemplating intercourse.
  • Gwenda Blair : Mop 'n' Glow. The Absorbing Story of the Contraceptive Sponge . In: The Village Voice , 1 (1984), p. 1.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Uni-Frauenklinik Tübingen: Barrier methods . Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  2. ↑ a b c d Sponges . In: Cervical Barrier Advancement Society . 2004. Retrieved September 17, 2006.
  3. ↑ a b c Bith Control Sponge . Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved September 13, 2014. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.plannedparenthood.org
  4. ↑ a b How Well Does Today Sponge Prevent Pregnancy? . In: Today Sponge . Allendale Pharmaceuticals. Archived from the original on July 17, 2006. Retrieved August 17, 2006.
  5. ↑ RA Hatcher, J. Trussell, F. Stewart, et al .: Contraceptive Technology , 18th. Edition, Ardent Media, New York 2000, ISBN 0-9664902-6-6 .
  6. ↑ Creatsas G, Elsheikh A, Colin P: Safety and tolerability of the new contraceptive sponge Protectaid . In: European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care . 7, No. 2, 2002, pp. 91-5. PMID 12201327 .
  7. ↑ Creatsas G, Guerrero E, Guilbert E, Drouin J, Serfaty D, Lemieux L, Suissa S, Colin P: A multinational evaluation of the efficacy, safety and acceptability of the Protectaid contraceptive sponge . In: European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care . 6, No. 3, 2001, pp. 172-82. PMID 11763982 .
  8. ↑ ovule Pharmatex: results of 10 years of research in contraception . In: Nurs Que . 3, No. 2, 1983, p. 33. PMID 6552435 .
    Serfaty D: The contraceptive sponge . In: Entret Bichat Pitie Salpetriere Ther . 1982, pp. 225-8. PMID 12340222 .
    Leroy B, Serror R: Contraception through the use of intravaginal spermicides during the post-partum period . In: Revue Francaise de Gynecologie et d'Obstetrique . 74, No. 1, 1979, pp. 63-5. PMID 424660 .
  9. ↑ a b c The Birth Control Sponge . In: Global Health Options . 2004. Archived from the original on August 19, 2006. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 6, 2006. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.gho.co.uk
  10. ↑ a b c d Mayo Clinic. (2010). Retrieved February 3, 2011
  11. ^ Menard F: The health of women and contraception in Quebec . In: Planned Parenthood in Europe regional information bulletin . 13, No. 1, 1984, pp. 18-20. PMID 12178356 .
  12. ↑ Kim Best: New Devices May Be Easier to Use . In: Family Health International (Ed.): Network . 20, No. 2, 2000. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
  13. ^ Lavery, David and Sara Lewis Dunne (2006). Seinfeld, master of its domain: revisiting television's greatest sitcom , p. 247. Continuum International Publishing Group, ISBN 978-0-8264-1803-6