Contraceptive film is 72% effective at preventing pregnancy when used correctly. Current statistics show that out of 100 women who use spermicides with the ingredient nonoxynol-9 (the active ingredient in contraceptive film) as their sole means of birth control, about 28 will become pregnant over the course of a year.
How to Use Contraceptive Film
To increase the efficacy of contraceptive film, it’s important to follow all the recommended insertion steps. In fact, experts estimate that some unintended pregnancies are a result of product misuse. To insert the film properly:
- Get in a comfortable position, such as lying on your back, putting a foot on a chair, or squatting.
- Take the film, and fold it over your finger.
- Put your finger as far as it can go inside your vagina.
- Move the film around so it sits above your cervix, which is at the top of the vagina and feels like a bump.
- Wait 15 minutes for the film to dissolve into a gel before having sex.
After insertion, contraceptive film is good for up to three hours. If you want to have sex again after that, you’ll need to insert another film.
Another way to increase the effectiveness of contraceptive film is to pair it with a condom. If you use this method, experts estimate the efficacy of birth control rises to 97%.