The Sponge is back!

It was on the market for 11 years, then off the market, and was recently cleared for sales by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Today Sponge is a hormone-free birth control method for women that can easily be found at drug stores. This means that you don't need a prescription from a health care provider to get it. Like all birth control methods, the Sponge has pros and cons:

Pros:

* It is easy to use.
* It doesn't require a doctor's visit or prescription.
* It is easy to find.
* It is a good choice for women who don't want to use hormonal contraception.
* It is convenient--you use it only when you need it.

Cons:

* It isn't as effective as hormonal contraception (the Pill, Patch, or Shot).
* It doesn't protect you from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), so you still need to use a condom.
* It can become expensive if you need it regularly (each Sponge costs about $3.00).
* It can be difficult to use for women who prefer not to touch their vagina.
* The spermicide it contains makes unprotected oral sex taste bad.

Here's how it works

The Sponge acts like a barrier to prevent sperm from swimming up into a woman's cervix. It is soft and shaped like a small lid. A woman wets it, squishes it in her hands til it gets sudsy with pre-filled spermicide, and then pushes it up inside her vagina to the very top--to the cervix. (Look for "cervix" in the Sex Terms section for an illustration.) There is a strap across the Sponge, so that a woman can hook her finger around it and easily pull it out.

The Sponge can be inserted into the vagina for 24 hours. A woman can put it in place before she decides to have vaginal intercourse, and keep it in during and afterward. The Sponge itself acts as a barrier to the sperm. The sperm are trapped in the Sponge and deactivated by the spermicide, so they can't enter the woman's cervix and start a pregnancy.

According to its manufacturer, the Sponge is effective about 89-91% of the time, if used perfectly. In real-world use, it is about 84-87% effective. This means that the Sponge isn't as effective as condoms (real-world effectiveness is 85%) or the Pill (real-world effectiveness is 92%). But if a couple uses a condom plus the Sponge, they would be able to protect themselves from STDs and unplanned pregnancy at a very high effectiveness rate.

To get more detailed information about the Sponge, check out the official Web site or call the 24-hour Spongeline at 1-888-343-4499.

For information on other birth control methods, check out our FAQ's or the story "An A to Z of Contraception."