A case-control study of spermicides and gonorrhea
H. Austin, W. C. Louv and W. J. Alexander
A case-control study was done to evaluate the effectiveness of vaginal
spermicides as a prophylaxis against gonorrhea. The subjects included 735
women with gonorrhea and 958 controls seen in a sexually transmitted
disease clinic. The relative risk (RR) of gonorrhea for spermicide users
compared with nonusers was 0.67 with 90% confidence limits, 0.44 to 1.0.
This RR was 0.47 (90% confidence limits, 0.25 to 0.87) after the exclusion
of women using oral contraceptives, an intrauterine device, or with a tubal
ligation. The protective effect of spermicides was confined largely to
women who had also used diaphragms or whose partners had used condoms. The
RR of gonorrhea for spermicide and condom users relative to nonusers of
spermicides, condoms, and diaphragms was 0.41 (90% confidence limits, 0.21
to 0.79), while for spermicide and diaphragm users, this RR was 0.45 (90%
confidence limits, 0.15 to 1.3). These results suggest that a woman can
appreciably decrease her risk of contracting gonorrhea if she uses
spermicides in conjunction with either the diaphragm or the condom.
