The most important thing to consider when you are trying to choose the best spermicidal foam is its effectiveness. To help you avoid pregnancy, the active ingredient of the product you choose must be tested and proven effective. Nonoxynol-9, for example, has been proven effective and is commonly used in spermicidal products. You may also consider whether the other ingredients of the foam will irritate your partner. Additionally, if you will use a condom as an added method of birth control, it is important to make sure the product you choose won't cause it to deteriorate.
One of the most important things to consider when you are trying to choose the best spermicidal foam is its effectiveness. When you are trying to avoid pregnancy, it is critical that you choose spermicidal foam with an active ingredient that is proven to work. Often, such products contain an active ingredient called nonoxynol-9. This ingredient has been well tested and is considered a reasonably effective method of birth control. If a product contains an active ingredient that has not been proven highly effective against sperm, you or you partner may face the risk of pregnancy each time you use it.
Though the active ingredient in a spermicidal foam is the most important factor in your selection, the other ingredients may also play a role. This is due to the fact that you or your partner may find some of the other ingredients irritating to the sensitive genital area. To avoid this, you may do well to carefully review the ingredients list before you buy one and choose one that lacks the ingredients you know irritate you or your partner. In some cases, however, you may not know the foam will irritate you before you buy it. If you discover the problem after the fact, you may need to try various brands until you find one that isn't irritating.
When choosing spermicidal foam, you may also consider whether or not you use condoms in addition to the foam. It is important that the spermicidal foam you choose is safe for use with condoms. Some types of ingredients may actually impair the condom, even if you do not notice this visibly, and make it more difficult for the condom to protect you from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and pregnancy. Fortunately, many spermicidal foam products are labeled as safe for condom use, but you may do well to make sure before you purchase a new product.
It is important to keep in mind that spermicidal foam is not 100-percent effective against pregnancy. Based on testing, many of these products are said to be more than 90-percent effective. In practice, however, the actual effectiveness is often closer to 78 percent. As such, you may do well to use a backup method of birth control if avoiding pregnancy is a top priority for you.
