image by: HWN

HWN Suggests

What Is a Diaphragm? Everything You Need to Know About the Non-Hormonal Birth Control

Diaphragms are often overshadowed by other forms of birth control, like the pill or the IUD. So much so that you might even be wondering what is a diaphragm? The birth control method is old-school but it is still alive and well—many women rely on this long-established method of non-hormonal birth control. Curious? Here's everything you need to know about diaphragms.

read full article

Featured

  Diaphragms Are Making a Comeback

"Now, we're bringing the focus back to what the patient wants, which means a full range of options—including those that haven't been popular in a while." This includes a return to an old favorite—the diaphragm, which fell out of favor when pills and other contraceptive methods gained popularity.

 Diaphragms Are Back In Style—Here's Why You Might Want To Try One

They're a hormone-free blast from the past. Diaphragms seem like the dinosaur of contraceptive methods. When compared with options like hormonal IUDs, which emit levonorgestrel to thicken cervical mucus, make it harder for sperm to get around, and thin the uterine lining, simple diaphragms seem positively retro. (The fact that one made an appearance in a 1999 Sex and the City episode says it all.) But in 2015, a diaphragm called Caya hit the market, marking the first time a new one was available in 50 years and reviving interest in the contraceptive method.

Articles of Interest

A History: the Diaphragm

So fast forwarding a bit, the laws lightened up, and by 1941, diaphragms were recommended by doctors as the most effective form of birth control. But this device became less popular in the 1960s with the invention of the pill and IUD. However, diaphragms continue to be a great method for women seeking a non-hormonal form of birth control. Long story short, we owe Margaret Sanger and her husband Noah Slee a big thanks for standing up for access to contraception.

A New Look at an Old Method: The Diaphragm

In a society that seeks "magic bullets" and values technological fixes, the old-fashioned diaphragm is viewed with skepticism by practitioners and women alike. We contend, however, that the diaphragm has much to offer women, and that it could play an important role in the prevention of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV.

The Birth Control Method You Totally Forgot About

So, doctors? Please stop restricting our options. American women have the right to choose how we want to control our reproductive symptoms and what risks we’re willing to take. Personally, I’ll take the slight inconvenience and slightly higher chance of pregnancy with the diaphragm over all the chance of even one of those side effects, any day.

What is the diaphragm?

The diaphragm is not one of the most effective methods of birth control out there. But if the diaphragm is used perfectly (exactly how the instructions say to use it), with spermicide, every single time you have penis-in-vagina sex, it’s pretty effective at preventing pregnancy. With perfect use, diaphragms are 84% effective, which means that, on average, 16 out of every 100 people using a diaphragm perfectly for a year will get pregnant. But most people have trouble using their diaphragm correctly from time to time.

What You Need To Know About Diaphragm Birth Control

Diaphragms appeal to many people for their convenience and lack of hormones. However, they are less effective at preventing pregnancy than other methods of birth control and don’t protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The use of diaphragms with spermicide results in pregnancy about 17% of the time, making them about 83% effective at preventing pregnancy.

Why barrier contraceptives (like diaphragms) are so unpopular

They put a burden on women in books—and on people in real life.

Why I use a diaphragm for birth control

Here’s the thing about using a diaphragm for birth control in 2019: people often think you’re a little out there. That might be because the last time we saw a diaphragm in popular culture was when Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City fame got hers stuck inside her vagina and had to turn to Samantha for help to get it out. But even then, in the late 90s and early aughts, diaphragms just weren’t very popular anymore. And yet, I use a diaphragm. In fact, for the past four years it’s been my primary form of birth control—and I’ve never been pregnant. So what is a woman in her early 30s doing using a diaphragm, when there are more popular (and more effective) forms of birth control out there?

Resources

Caya

There are so many reasons why women are choosing Caya. It’s an ideal solution for women who want a hormone-free birth control option. Unlike other medical or prescription contraceptives, Caya is used only when it’s needed, at the moment it’s needed.