Today Contraceptive Sponge
January 23, 2008
At one time, the Today Sponge was the second most popular form of birth control on the market. The doughnut shape, and soft, pliable material, made it comfortable to wear for extended periods during which a woman could choose to have sex if she wanted, and still have as much protection as a diaphragm.
But American Home Products, the original manufacturers, pulled the product off the shelf in 1995, after 12 years, because the FDA found bacterial contamination in the water used by the plant that manufactured the sponges. The company did not consider it profitable enough to refurbish the factory where the sponges were made.
After that, the sponge remained in limbo, despite such high profile incidents as its use in an episode of the sitcom “Seinfeld”, and the thousands of message boards on the Internet, where women bemoaned its loss. In 1998, Allendale Pharmaceuticals purchased the rights to the name and formula, as well as the machinery that produced them.
And so, with FDA approval of their own production facilities, Allendale released Today Sponge to the market once more.
The Today Sponge works through a spermicide known as nonoxynol-9. Sponges are dampened, and inserted in the vagina, up to 24 hours before having sex, and are left in place even if having intercourse more than once. It is recommended they be removed 30 hours after insertion, with at least a six hour lapse after last having sex.
Sponges should not be used during your period, after having a child or miscarriage, or if you have been diagnosed with TSS. Previous implications that the sponge caused TSS, were not due to the product itself, but to improper usage.
Learn more about the Today Sponge and purchase it online by clicking here.
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