Remember when Elaine’s diaphragm flew out of her purse on Seinfeld and she refused to be embarrassed about it? Us too, and as (sorry) millennials, that’s pretty much all we know about the non-hormonal birth control device. The Caya is a new and updated model that’s here to change all that.
For the newly initiated, the diaphragm is a small cervical cap that prevents sperm from entering the uterus. The Caya is one-size-fits-all, which gives it a jumpstart over previous versions that involved fittings at the gyno whenever you had a baby or lost weight. According to Caya’s website, the device is tailored to fit a broad range of women.
As Cosmopolitan points out, diaphragms overall have been shown to be only 88% effective when”incorrect or typically used.” That could be a gamble when compared to the 99% effectiveness of IUDs or 94% of the pill. Caya’s studies, however, perhaps unsurprisingly, found it at the higher number of 94%.
The diaphragm takes some getting used to for those accustomed to simply taking a pill or, even easier, spending 10 minutes getting an IUD inserted and never thinking about birth control again. You must put in your diaphragm no longer than two hours before sex, keep it in for six hours after, and keep it in for no longer than 24 hours afterwards. If you have sex more than once, you must reapply your contraceptive gel, as well as remember to use only water-based lubricants. That’s not to say the diaphragm may not be for you – Elaine loved it and so could you. The good news is, there’s a new option for those of us who may be looking.
