Today's market presents a variety of different contraceptive means of barrier type are available to everyone. The idea of this method is to form barrier between partners to avoid sperm entering uterus. And some of these barrier devices also protect from sexually transmitted diseases. One of the most widely used barrier means in this case is of course condom. It is considered to be the male contraceptive mean. Although there are female condoms available on the market but they are not so widely spread as male condoms, and their effectiveness is pretty small comparing to male condoms.
But there are also numerous barrier contraceptives for women that are safe and effective. The most well known of these contraceptives are cervical cap and diaphragm.
The first one of two above mentioned devices is made from rubber (latex or medical silicone) in a form of cap. When placed suction holds it over the cervix making a barrier for the sperm. But effectiveness of this device is not very high - only about 80%. That is why most doctors recommend using cervical caps together with some sort of spermicide. This contraceptive device can be inserted one hour before sexual intercourse which gives woman some freedom and intimacy. Another problem with cervical cap is that it can be hard for woman with bigger vagina to insert it correctly. As the solution of this problem the desicion can be so called diaphragm. This contraceptive device is pretty similar to cervical cap but it is flexible that makes its insertion a little easier. And as with cervical cap failure rate can be pretty high - up to 15%-20% so it is much better to use it together with spermicide.
But the problem that both above mentioned devices have is that the size of cervix varies from woman to woman and thus the size of cervical cap and diaphragm should be different. Only doctor can choose the right size of the device to guarantee the maximum effectiveness. Because of the fact in most of the countries where cervical cap and diaphragm are available special prescription is needed for them.
But not so long ago a new barrier contraceptive device appeared on the market. It is called Lea's Shield and it has no problem of the size because it is produced in one-size-fits-all form. Because of its mechanism and features it is held in a place safely. If you have not heard of this device yet you can easily read lea contraception information that is available in the Internet. There are even special web sites dedicated only to lea contraception description. That lea contraception information will help you to understand the difference between lea's shield and other devices on the market. That lea contraception information is also important because lea contraception cost is higher than for other birth control of similar type contraception. But on the other hand it is a reusable device. Today there are also many questions and misunderstandings about lea's shield and on web pages with lea contraception information you will find detailed answers to all these questions.