Authors: Shihata Alfred, Brody Steven A, Linderoth Birgit, Julia Barrett- Mitchell.
Background: This article addresses women’s unmet reproductive health needs:
1. Limited options for hormone-free birth control methods.
2. The rarely utilized fertility awareness method is the safest.
3. Women endure stress incontinence silently.
Objectives: Provide women with one device that can be used for contraception, fertility awareness, and stress urinary incontinence.
Materials and Methods: The FemCap is an FDA approved contraceptive device that can fulfill the three basic reproductive health needs for women:
1. The FemCap is a safe, effective, time tested, barrier contraceptive device.
2. Collect the fertile cervical mucus with the FemCap directly at the cervix, without mixing any other vaginal fluid.
3. Pessaries currently utilized to control SUI have significant limitations such as displacement, erosion, or even ulceration and urethral obstruction. The FemCap shows marked similarity to the ring pessary. The rim of the FemCap function is the same as the ring pessary in that it supports the bladder neck. The outward flaring brim of the FemCap restores the anatomy of the urethra and the vagina, and the bowl provides support to prevent the cervix from descending further.
Results: The FemCap is a well-established barrier contraceptive device. In pilot studies, FemCap has proven to enhance the effectiveness of fertility awareness methods and control SUI in pilot clinical trials.
Conclusion: It would be ideal and cost-effective to have one reusable device with multi-functions for contraception, fertility awareness, and to control stress incontinence.
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