Thanks to the popularity of vaginal and spermicidal foams, sprays and films we receive a LOT of emails and DMs asking if Caya Gel (and ContraGel) can be used without a diaphragm.
The short answer is NO!
It’s not been approved or tested for this type of application but why not?
Well quite simply it’s a gel, in the absence of a diaphragm or cervical cap you would have to apply a lot of it directly to the cervix to form a mechanical barrier and then, and here’s the big bit, it would have to stay in place until several hours after intercourse.
A cervical cap or diaphragm would form a barrier but it wouldn’t be perfect, so a spermicide or contraceptive gel is added to catch the sperm and to hold it in place with it’s stickiness and then to immobilise it. Since live sperm could still be hanging around several hours after ejaculation the gel needs to be ‘holding on to’ any ejaculate when the barrier is removed, otherwise it could carry on it’s journey unhindered.
Now let’s try that again but without the barrier. You’d have to apply the gel directly to the cervix need it to stay put for many hours. That’s not going to happen. Firstly when the gel is inserted it would get warmed up with the user’s body heat, reducing it’s viscosity and allowing it to run out of place. Gravity would pull it down, the now liquid gel would become diluted with ejaculate and absorption into the body would begin.
This is all pretty common sense stuff to healthcare professionals who are familiar with these issues, which is why testing would never even be attempted. The ethics of testing with such a high risk of a negative outcome on a volunteer group means that such testing would ever be commissioned.
But Spermicidal Foams And Films Can Be Used Without Diaphragms, Right?
Spermicidal foams and films can be used without diaphragms because their structure helps them stay where they need to be.
The downside of this is that lots of chemicals are used to make this happen and those chemicals hang around for some time inside the vagina where absorbtion begins. To be a bit more specific, these chemical compounds would by design also be ‘sticking around’ on the cervix too, which is far more absorbent than the vaginal walls. Imagine, the cervix has about three layers of skin whereas the vaginal walls have about thirty. So you would need to think long and hard about which chemicals you would be leaving inside!
Caya Gel and ContraGel are made with natural ingredients and are lactic acid based, rather than Nonoxynol 9 which is often associated with skin abrasions and itchiness. Foams and films can be used to stick the N9 compound to your most sensitive areas and hold it, increasing absorption, where as a more natural ContraGel or Caya Gel would mostly be removed with the diaphragm and easily cleaned away after.
For two decades David has been the owner and director of several marketing and distribution companies. During this time he has learned the indisputable benefits of looking after customers, colleagues, workers, suppliers and the local community, treating them all as respected stakeholders in a common project. Recently he consolidated his personal beliefs and business ethics by founding the Natural Intimacy brand and developing it as an Ethical Company.
