CONTRACEPTION: BARRIER METHODS

Date: Monday, March 23rd, 2009 at 3:07 am

The cervical cap. Same as for the diaphragm, only it’s a little smaller. It fits snugly over the cervix, and some women find it a little more difficult to insert, others find it more convenient. Otherwise, works on the same principles.

The female condom. This is a relative newcomer to the contraceptive armoury, and is not yet available in Australia. It works in principle in the same way as the original ‘male’ condom, except that the woman inserts it into her vagina, rather than it being fitted over the penis’. It is a little early to give a detailed assessment of it, but the general idea sounds promising.

Spermicidal preparations. Mentioned previously, the jellies and creams should be used in combination with a barrier method such as a condom or diaphragm or cervical cap. Alone they are as much use as a chocolate teapot (pregnancy rates around thirty-five per 100 women years).

In some countries there are devices on the market based on the idea of a sponge, soaked with spermicidal cream, which is inserted into the vagina prior to intercourse. Again it would be unwise to rely on this alone, although accurate figures are difficult to find on these devices.