The type of birth control a person chooses to use is highly personal, and can often vary by life circumstances. If you’re single, you may prefer a combination of oral birth control and condoms, if you’re partnered up, you may be all about oral birth control or an IUD, and if you’re in a committed relationship and see kids in your future, you may have tried the natural birth control method. Luckily, there are a lot of highly effective options out there, including Phexxi, the first and only FDA-approved non-hormonal birth control gel, which hit the market a few years ago, making it fairly new. If you’ve ever experienced the not-so-pleasant side effects of hormonal birth control (nausea, moodiness and bloating, anyone?) or felt frustrated or irritated by condoms, a hormone-free gel probably sounds like a dream come true. But how effective is Phexxi, and what are the side effects like? Parade.com chatted with doctors to find out. Here’s what you should know if you’re considering it.
How does Phexxi work?
If you’ve heard of spermicide, which is available over the counter, Phexxi works a bit like that—but it’s more effective. “Phexxi contains lactic acid, citric acid, and potassium bitartrate which changes vaginal pH and reduces sperm motility/viability,” saysDr. Lucky Sekhon, MD, a fertility specialist and board certified OB/GYN. “A pre-filled applicator is inserted vaginally immediately or up to one hour prior to vaginal intercourse.” Available by prescription only, the idea with Phexxi is that the gel will create a specific pH that’s basically a hostile environment for sperm in terms of getting anywhere. “Phexxi keeps the vagina’s pH between 3.5 and 4.5 (the normal range for the vagina),” explains Dr. Jane van Dis, MD and OB/GYN. “This pH, however, limits sperm mobility thus decreasing the chance that the sperm can meet the egg in the fallopian tube.”
How effective is Phexxi?
Whereas oral birth control is 99% effective if you use it perfectly (but because many people don’t, effectiveness is more like 93%) and an IUD is about 99.2% effective, the same isn’t true of Phexxi. It’s more effective than traditional spermicide (which should be used in conjunction with another form of birth control) and about as effective as condoms at 86.3%, according to trials. “With ideal use, where there is adherence to the recommended time frame for administering Phexxi, efficacy can be as high as 93%,” says Dr. Sekhon. “It can be used concomitantly with a diaphragm, condoms, or other barrier methods, to maximize efficacy of contraception.”
Phexxi side effects
Like most medications, Phexxi does have side effects—and some of them are unpleasant, to say the least. “The most common side effects reported in clinical trials were vaginal burning and itching,” Dr. Sekhon says. “Less commonly, users might experience a urinary tract infection, or UTI. Male partners may also notice local discomfort (burning, itching), most of which are mild.” It’s also worth nothing that the vaginal burning and itching is a pretty common side effect: Nearly one in five women experienced it, according to Dr. van Dis, as compared to one in 10 men who experienced it. If you’re struggling with some side effects of hormones or simply want to try something new, it might be worth it to talk to your doctor about Phexxi to see if it’s a fit for you—but be warned that if preventing pregnancy is your main goal, you may want to go with a different birth control method. “It’s always good to have contraceptive options, to be sure, but women should understand the chance of pregnancy is 14 out of 100,” says Dr. van Dis. “And know the side effects described above for both themselves and their partner.” Next up, here’s why you might have missed your period even if you’re not pregnant.
Sources
Dr. Lucky Sekhon, MD, a fertility specialist and board certified OB/GYNDr. Jane van Dis, MD and OB/GYN
