OTC Barrier Methods | OTC Barrier Methods |
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Male Condom
Female Condom
Spermicide
Contraceptive Sponge
Diaphragm, Cervical Cap
A cervical cap is a device that is inserted into the vagina. It has a thimble shape and fits snugly over the cervix; suction is used to keep the cap in place. The inside of the cap should be filled with a spermicide to combat sperm which get past the cap. There are caps in different styles and sizes. They are made of latex or medical silicone...             |
A condom is a device, usually made of latex or more recently polyurethane, that is used during sexual intercourse to reduce the risk of pregnancy and/or some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. Condoms are also often used to cover medical ultrasound imaging transducers, keep a sex toy clean, and in cases of toys shared between partners, helping provide STD protection. Condoms do not protect against all forms of STDs. Other uses include holding water, keeping gun muzzles dry, and being a membrane to keep drugs intact whilst being trafficked. They are also known as prophylactics, as well as a number of colloquial or slang terms, such as rubbers...
Recently "female condoms" or "femidoms" (not to be confused with femdoms) have become available. They are larger than male condoms and have a stiffened ring-shaped opening, and are designed to be inserted into the vagina. The female condom also contains an inner ring which keeps the condom in place inside the vagina ? inserting the female condom requires squeezing this ring. Sales of these have been disappointing in developed countries, though increasingly developing countries are using them to complement already existing family planning and HIV/AIDS programming. Probable causes for poor sales are that inserting the female condom is a skill that has to be learned and that female condoms can be significantly more expensive than male condoms (upwards of 2 or 3 times the cost). Also, reported "rustling" sounds during intercourse turn off some potential users, as does the visibility of the outer ring which remains outside the vagina. This type of condom is made from polyurethane, though newer iterations are made from nitrile...
Spermicide is a substance that kills sperm. Usually they are used to increase the effectivity of contraceptive barrier methods such as diaphragms, condoms, and cervical caps as they are only somewhat effective alone. Various contraceptive sponges use spermicides. The most common active ingredient of spermicides is nonoxynol-9, to which some people are allergic. Previously, it was believed that nonoxynol-9 reduced the risk of HIV infection as it was thought to kill the virus. However, nonoxynol-9 has been shown to increase the risk of contracting HIV because it creates tiny abrasions in the vaginal and rectal walls that make transmission of HIV and other STDs more likely....
The contraceptive sponge combines barrier and spermicidal techniques to prevent conception. The sponges are inserted vaginally prior to intercourse, and must be placed over the cervix to be effective. An elastic band across the sponge is present to facilitate removal. Effectiveness for prevention of pregnancy when used correctly is about 89% to 91%[1], but can be used in conjunction with a condom making the contraceptive sponge as effective as any other reversible method of contraception. When improperly applied without the use of a condom its effectiveness is somewhere around 84% to 89%. Insertion of the sponge requires reaching the cervix, and is generally performed by the woman. The sponges are not effective in preventing sexually transmitted diseases...
The diaphragm is a barrier method of contraception. It is a small soft rubber dome with a flexible rubber 'O'-ring moulded into the edge which the user fills with a spermicide (sperm killer) before placing it in the vagina to wall off the cervix (the opening to the uterus), thus preventing sperm from entering. A diaphragm is very soft and flexible, and can be gently squeezed from its normal circular shape into a thin 'melon-slice' shape for easy insertion. When fully inserted, the rim of this flexible cup (made of latex or medical silicone) sits an inch or so behind the pubic bone, and the rest of the rubber ring then naturally expands into a soft elliptical shape and settles against the front wall of the deepest part of the vagina, surrounding the cervix. It is most effective when used in tandem with spermicide, but if used alone, it is far more effective than spermicide alone. The spermicide should be applied just before insertion, and should be applied to the centre of the dome (which contacts the opening of the cervix) and around the contact surface of the rim.
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