rahl

I was wondering if anyone has tried vaginal spermicides on a regular basis? Did you experience any adverse reactions, such as burning or irritation? My fiance and I currently use the pill and the withdrawal method, but I would like to try vaginal spermicides so that I don't have to pull out

Amaras

Not a regular basis, they taste terrible! Sorry.

Seriously, though, I've known two women who did have adverse reactions (irritation).
If that is the case, her gyno may be able to suggest alternatives.
How about condoms? There are new "sensitive" brands available.

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rahl

I used to use condoms all the time, but since I've quit using them on a regular basis, whenever I do use them, even the super thing ones, the sensation is cut in half.

Daniel_

Using Vaginal sermicides ON THEIR OWN is not a god idea, as they are not very reliable.

I'm pretty sure that the thinest condom on general avaiability in the US is Trojan Supra, at 0.025mm, compared to latex condoms at around 0.065mm (down to about 0.050mm for thin in most cases); it may be that you could try that - the cost is generally about 5 times that of normal latex condoms, but it's still cheaper than a baby.

The other thing about vaginal spermicides is that they do nothing to stop the spread of STIs.
Recent WHO research has implicated the most common condom spermicide (N9) in INCREASING the chance that HIV will be transmitted, as it causes cellular damage to the vagina and under the foreskin that allows HIV virusses into the cells.

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rahl

I'm not too worried about std's with my fiance. I was just wondering if the combined use of the pill and a vaginal spermicide would be effective enough to not have to pull out all the time.

Daniel_

Theoretically, the pill alone works for many women, but it has its drawbacks to do with timing and so on.

I would put vaginal spermicides quite low down the list of ideas I'd want to try - if she's happy with hormone BC, have you talked with her about the longer lasting forms, like the ring, or sub-Q inplants?

__________________

╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗
Overhead, the Albatross hangs motionless upon the air,
And deep beneath the rolling waves,
In labyrinths of Coral Caves,
The Echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand;
And everthing is Green and Submarine
╚═════════════════════════════════════════╝

rahl

yes. and she's reluctant to try one of those forms of birth conrtol because they haven't been around as long as the pill or spermicides, and is uncertain of long term effects

Amaras

Good point about how long they've been around.
About condoms, is it so bad it's difficult to maintain (if you know what I mean)?
I've always relied on the pill. Maybe I was living dangerously, but no
unexpected kids after a few thousand times.
Within two months of "trying" for a child (ie no pill), BINGO!

__________________
Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state.
-Noam Chomsky
Love is a verb, not a noun.
-My Mom
The function of genius is to furnish cretins with ideas twenty years later.
-Louis Aragon, "La Porte-plume," Traite du style, 1928

rahl

it's not a maintaing thing just a pleasure thing. If just feels better with no condom, and not pulling out

genuinegirly

Yes. I've tried vaginal spermicides. We paired them with condoms during the fertile part of my cycle for a few years. We learned quickly not to use them without a condom - when we used spermicides alone, my husband felt an uncomfortable burning sensation in his urethra. He started to love thin condoms after that experience.

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rahl

thanks for all your replies. I will discuss it further with my fiance and figure out whats best for us both

Ilow

I have used the VCF vaginal contraceptive film back in the 90's with a g/f who was on a medication that had a very remote possibility of deactivating her pill. It was a little odd, and there were a couple times when it didn't dissolve completely (think "goopy clump") but I guess it wasn't a big deal. It wasn't a bad thing to have to put it on my finger and put it up her vagina. You should look into the ring. It is actually a lower dose of the hormones and I didn't feel it or anything when my last girlfriend used it ("ring toss" became an interesting euphemism for sex, btw).

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snowy

Before using spermicide, read this: http://who.int/reproductive-health/p...nonoxynol9.pdf It's highly irritating to vaginal tissue; in my opinion, it's north worth it.

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MSD

And it doesn't really do anything as far as killing sperm.

rahl

How can a product claim to do something then not. It has to kill most of the sperm if used properly.

MSD

Not according to the WHO report discouraging its use.

mixedsubstance

I definately second this, because I have learned from personal experience. One of the times I used this method alone, I got pregnant. It's not worth the risk. I'd highly recommend her taking a more long-term approach, such as the Nuvaring or IUD.

See this useful thread:
http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/tilted-...h-control.html
Rahl- you'll see from this thread (and she can do research on other methods, such as the Nuvaring and IUD) that they are 99% effective. I've had the Nuvaring (change out once/month) for over 3 years with no problem, and switching to the IUD (5-7 years for me) in 2 days. Most insurance co.'s cover those also.

I just don't understand why- if she's on the pill and taking it every day like she's supposed to- you shouldn't need the withdrawal method.

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Ayashe

Of course there are those rare super-fertile people that get pregnant on one reliable birth control.(Though usually after great thought one realizes they were using antacids or antibiotics while on the pill, or other known causes of birth control failure) I work with a nurse who swore she was a beacon of fertility having gotten pregnant 3 times while on the pill, only to come to terms with the fact that she had been taking antacids each time. Read all of the information that comes in the little pill pamphlet and make sure that you are following the directions to the letter and you will find it is quite uncommon for failure under the proper conditions. Mistakes may happen, but it is very often due to human error. If your concern is that she does not always remember to take the pill, then you need to change to a different form or help her remember. Depo-Provera, Nuvaring, and IUDs are often a better choice to those patients.

Personally, if I am was that concerned about pregnancy I would consider not having sex or surgical sterilization. It cannot possibly be all that rewarding to use the pull-out method, and condoms are a real drag in my opinion it takes away from the experience. However, since you are inquiring on a second method the spermicides are (depending on where you look) between 19-50% effective. While that is quite sufficient for someone who is already using another method, one may also consider what the point would be in using a second method if it were so ineffective. Spermicides are far better utilized with a barrier contraceptive such as the diaphragm, cervical cap or condoms. Of course she cannot be using two hormonal methods at one time, that would be far too great a risk to her health. That pretty much leaves you with a choice of pull-and-pray, rhythm, barrier or a hormonal method if you need dual-action so to speak.

As far as risk goes, there is a risk of irritation with any cream, gel, foam, condom, cervical cap, diaphragm, or inserted IUD.. you get the idea. There are also the risks with hormonal contraceptives of stroke, increased risk of heart disease, deep vein thrombosis (blood clots), depletion of several nutrients including vitamins B2, B6, and B12, folate, vitamins C and E, magnesium, and even CoQ10. They also can contribute to depression, migraines, and anemia to cervical dysplasia (the precursor to cervical cancer) with the pill.

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