Women's Health: What are the advantages and disadvantages of spermicides?

Female Condom

Pregnancy rates of up to 30 per 100 woman years have been reported (Table13.1). In view of these potentially high failure rates, family planning doctors generally recommend that you should use spermicides only in combination with other methods.

On balance it would seem that spermicides are likely to reduce your risk of pre-malignant and malignant conditions of the cervix.

Spermicides have been found to provide some protection against a variety of sexually transmitted diseases. From a medical point of view, additional precautions with a barrier are to be recommended.

Most chemicals introduced into the vagina are absorbed to some extent and this is true for spermicides.

There have been reports of possible harmful effects on the liver but these remain unproven.

There are probably no harmful effects on the fetus if you have been using spermicides in early pregnancy.

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