NDSU
Student Health Service
Choices Program
Your Reproductive Health - Spermicides
Spermicides
Spermicide (sperm-killing) products such as
contraceptive creams, jellies, foams, and suppositories can
be purchased without a prescription. They can be used alone,
but to be most effective they should be used with a barrier
birth control method such as the diaphragm or cervical cap.
The active ingredient used in spermicide products in the United
States is nonoxynol-9.
Spermicides are a short-term method of birth control. The effectiveness of spermicides, like other barrier methods, depends on consistent and correct use. Spermicides used alone have a low rate of effectiveness in preventing pregnancy.
Spermicides do not offer any protection against HIV/AIDS and only minimal protection against other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia and gonorrhea.
How to Use Spermicides
- If using spermicide only, it must be placed correctly in the vagina no more than 1 hour before sex. The spermicide applicator or suppository needs to make contact with the cervix, which for most women is deep in the vagina.
- If using a spermicide with a vaginal barrier (diaphragm or cervical cap), the spermicide should be spread around the inside of the dome and around the rim of the diaphragm or cap.
- If you use a vaginal suppository spermicide, allow 10 to 15 minutes for it to warm and dissolve.
- Always use fresh spermicide each time you have sex.
- If placed in the vagina more than an hour prior to intercourse, additional spermicide must be used.
Possible Side Effects of Spermicides
- Local skin irritation involving the vulva, vagina, or penis. Some women and men can have a sensitivity or allergy to spermicide. These reactions can include redness, itching, burning, and swelling. If you have a sensitivity to one product, you might try a different one (i.e., if a cream causes irritation, try a foam or suppository). However, if all spermicide products cause irritation, discontinue their use until you can talk to a health care provider.
- Spermicides may cause vaginal and/or urinary tract infections.