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Phexxi® puts you in control of your sexual health

Ah, birth control. A staple in sexual health since the 1960s, when the pill was approved for contraceptive use. Since then, many breakthroughs in contemporary birth control products have created a path toward sexual autonomy. There are plenty of options out there, but many are just repackaged versions of the original mechanism of action. Whether it’s the pill, ring, patch, or implant, these birth controls still use the same hormones — just in different forms and dosages.

So when Phexxi hit the birth control market in 2020, it was a sea-change from the lot. The revolutionary contraceptive provided a way for vulva-owners to control pregnancy prevention — without the hormones and the…

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 Everything You Need to Know About Phexxi, the New Hormone-Free Birth Control

Birth control has come a long way since it was first introduced in the 1960s. From the pill to the IUD to the patch to the Depo-shot, there are so many options available, including the latest to hit the market: Phexxi, a hormone-free vaginal gel.

 The Pill Helped Start the Sexual Revolution. What Will Phexxi Do?

If you’re a woman aged 18 to 34, you may have seen a Phexxi ad during a commercial break on Hulu. Or you could have come across the product — a non-hormonal contraceptive gel that women can use within an hour before having sex — while scrolling through Instagram, somewhere between a recipe for Paleo bagels and an ode to body positivity.

Articles of Interest

A Look At New Hormone-Free Contraceptive Option

What it does is it keeps the pH of the vagina low. So typically, semen enters the vaginal canal and raises the pH of the vagina, making it so that the sperm can be mobile and swim to meet the egg and cause a pregnancy. However, what Phexxi does, it's a combination of a few acids that keep the pH of the vagina low so that the sperm can - are no longer able to move and to swim.

Fact Sheet: Phexxi Contraceptive Gel

Phexxi is used right before penis-in-vagina sex. It works by taking advantage of the vagina’s natural acidity and sperm’s vulnerability to acidic environments.

FDA Approves First Non-Hormonal Contraceptive Gel

The FDA approved the first non-hormonal prescription birth control gel. It works by maintaining your vaginal pH within the normal range which is acidic and inhospitable to sperm.

What you should know about Phexxi, the new birth control gel

Phexxi is a birth control gel approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2020. A prescription medication, Phexxi contains lactic acid, citric acid, and potassium bitartrate. Unlike traditional birth control, Phexxi does not contain hormones.

Resources

A trifunctional contraceptive gel enhances the safety and quality of sexual intercourse

In this study, we fabricated a carbomer-based contraceptive gel consisting of three agents: tenofovir, gossypol acetate, and nitroglycerin (TGN), with pH adjusted to 4.5 (to be compatible with the vagina). In vitro, the gossypol component of the contraceptive gel proved to be an effective spermicide. When the concentration of gossypol acetate was 10 mg/ml, the spermicidal ability reached 100% after 30 s.