title: Effectiveness of the cavity-rim cervical cap: results of a large clinical study.
abstract: From 1981-1988, 3433 women were fitted with a cavity-rim cervical cap in a Food and Drug Administration-approved study. The estimated first-year pregnancy risk was 11.3% (95% confidence limits 10.0-12.8), with risks of 8.3 and 3.8% for user and method failures, respectively. Women who were younger, less educated, and more sexually active, and who intended to have children in the future, had higher pregnancy risks. "Near-perfect" users, ie, individuals who wore the cap for a maximum of 72 hours, used spermicide 100% of the time, and did not report unprotected sexual intercourse, had half the first-year pregnancy risk of others (6.1 versus 11.9%). There were no serious medical or gynecologic complications associated with cap use, although over 20% of users reported problems with cap dislodgment during or after intercourse, cap malodor, or partner discomfort.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Population and Family Health, University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Richwald
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Greenland
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Potik
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kersey
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Comas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003274:Contraceptive Devices, Female / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors