A comparative trial of the Today contraceptive sponge and diaphragm.

A comparative trial was conducted in the United States to compare the Today contraceptive sponge and the diaphragm used with spermicide. Subjects were randomly assigned to contraceptive methods and were followed up for 1 year. None of the subjects were previous sponge users, but about 30% were previous diaphragm users. The overall cumulative 1-year life-table pregnancy rate was higher for sponge users compared to diaphragm users. No serious side effects occurred with either product. The discontinuation rates for allergic-type reactions and discomfort were higher for sponge users. Similar rates of method-related complaints and discontinuation rates for personal and product-related reasons suggest there were no differences in the acceptability of the two products. In this trial, the allowable use time for the sponge was 2 days. The sponge is now recommended for 1-day use. The overall results of the study indicate the sponge to be a safe and acceptable method of contraception with an effectiveness rate in the range of that for other vaginal contraceptives.