Even the article says it’s as effective as birth control pills. They probably do want to make sure women know how to use them though.

Don't men need a prescription for those pills too though?

It’s one size fits all, but to be effective it requires that you understand the parts of your reproductive system, and feel comfortable sticking your fingers all up in your vagina(gasp!). They can’t trust us womenfolk to read directions or to understand what’s going on in our mysterious love-caves. It’s dark down…

Sperm can stay motile for up to a week

As someone that has only ever used the pill, and only has friends that use the pill, condoms or iud, what exactly is the difference between the sponge and a diaphragm? They both have about the same effectiveness when used correctly when I check on planned parenthood, the sponge seems like it may be a little easier to…

I’m not sure. I know that some drugs will move from prescription only to OTC, but I’m not sure if they had plans to take it OTC all along or if they just eventually did it.

Yeah what’s up with that shit.

You need a prescription so that it’s covered by healthcare and also so that they can make sure it fits properly. When they came in different sizes they had to size you up. Losing 10 lbs meant you might need a new one. I’d assume that even though this is one size, you’d want to make sure it fit right.

sponges still exist :) they returned quietly to the market a few years ago

Sperm can stay motile for up to a week, so “how long do you leave the diaphragm in place?” is a perfectly reasonable question to me. Or are we supposed to intuit that some aspect of the design would squeegee down the vaginal walls on the way out?

This is basically a DivaCup for sperm refraction, so I don’t get why I can buy a DivaCup at Whole Foods, but I can’t pick up one of these babies.

i think they should just be out like all other sex related things...(again, like condoms)

Makes me long for the days of sponges...

Maybe to make sure people get schooled on how to use it properly? My pharmacists look like sad, miserable beings who are just trying to get through the day with out downing a bottle of something narcotic. I could see the potential issue with people assuming they know how it works.

yup

But it sounds like from this article you don’t need to be fitted for this one? So if that’s the case are they just doing it by prescription because they’re traditionally by prescription?

The potential for it to be OTC, and for us to amend the ACA to require coverage of OTC birth control has me intrigued. If you had this plus, say, an OTC pill (which is entirely legitimate- the safety profile of the pill is comparable to OTC pain killers you) would have a fairly effective combination.

is there any good reason this needs a prescription? (other than for the purpose of it being covered by insurance?)