The Caya diaphragm is a contraceptive device that protects you against accidental pregnancy. It does not however, protect against sexual transmitted diseases. The Caya diaphragm is made out of nylon and silicone, two skin-friendly materials that won’t cause any allergic reactions. There’s no latex used in the product. The diaphragm is placed inside the vagina before sexual intercourse together with spermicide gel. This gel includes a substance, usually nonoxynol-9, which kills male sperm cells.
Like conventional diaphragms, the Caya device is a barrier form of contraception. It blocks the uterine opening, thereby preventing sperm from advancing toward the yet unfertilized egg.
The Caya diaphragm is sold in one size that fits most women, in contrast to older diaphragms that would always necessitate a doctor’s visit for fitting.
Sometimes the Caya diaphragm may be covered by a woman’s healthcare plan. Check with your insurance provider if this applies to you.
It may initially take a few practice rounds, but it’s a fairly straight-forward process. The Caya diaphragm will need to be inserted into your vagina at least one hour prior to sex and with great care toward fitting it correctly. Using a lubricant, which will come with the diaphragm will make this easier. Below is a brief summary of how you insert the diaphragm.
The diaphragm needs to remain in your vagina for at least six hours after you’ve finished sexual intercourse. So, make sure it fits not only correctly but also comfortably. Don't leave it inside the vagina for much longer than six hours however, and definitely not more than 24 hours. This is because leaving the diaphragm inside the vagina for longer than a day carries risk of serious bacterial infections. If you have repeated intercourse, apply new spermicidal gel every time.
When you take out the diaphragm, clean with a mild detergent and dry it properly. Storing the diaphragm in clean, dry and closed condition (inside its box) is important, as this minimize the risk of contamination with bacteria that could give you a urinary tract infection.
In the event that the Caya diaphragm accidentally falls out during sex or before the six-hour waiting period is over, there’s a risk that you may become pregnant. Seek immediate advice from your doctor as to whether you qualify for emergency contraception such as the "morning after pill".
Several trials have confirmed that the Caya diaphragm is an effective means of birth control, which is why it has earned FDA approval. While this means that it is safe and effective, t doesn’t mean it is 100% fail safe. In fact, no form of contraception is 100% fail safe. The exact probability that you’ll get pregnant despite having used a Caya diaphragm correctly is something we don’t know for sure due to lack of adequate data.
That said, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its review of birth control choices, has noted that diaphragms in general have a failure rate of 17%. So, if you happen to be within the part of your monthly cycle where you can get pregnant, your cances of getting pregnant while using a diaphragm is 17 out of 100. For comparison: the CDC cites a failure rate of 13% for traditional male-use condoms, which is only marginally more efffectuve than a diaphragm. Keep in mind that the 17% failure rate applies to all diaphragm in general and thus doesn’t represent the Caya diaphragm specifically.
A potetniallly more serious drawback of the Caya diaphragm is that it doesn’t protect you from sexually transmitted diseases.
Mauck, Christine K, et al. “A Phase I Randomized Postcoital Testing and Safety Study of the Caya Diaphragm Used with 3% Nonoxynol-9 Gel, ContraGel or No Gel.” Contraception, vol. 96, no. 2, 2017, pp. 124–130, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28606382, 10.1016/j.contraception.2017.05.016. Accessed 30 Jan. 2020.
Cook, L. “The Diaphragm with and without Spermicide for Contraception: A Cochrane Review.” Human Reproduction, vol. 17, no. 4, 1 Apr. 2002, pp. 867–869, academic.oup.com/humrep/article/17/4/867/644603, 10.1093/humrep/17.4.867. Accessed 30 Jan. 2020.
Aiken, Abigail RA, et al. “Similarities and Differences in Contraceptive Use Reported by Women and Men in the National Survey of Family Growth.” Contraception, vol. 95, no. 4, Apr. 2017, pp. 419–423, 10.1016/j.contraception.2016.10.008. Accessed 30 Jan 2020.