Studies on development of a vaginal preparation providing both prophylaxis against venereal disease, other genital infections and contraception: III. In vitro effect of vaginal contraceptive and selected vaginal preparations of Candida albicans and Trichomonas vaginalis

41 preparations (jellies creams foams etc.) were tested each in several dilutions with physiological saline for effect on inhibition of growth of C. albicans and T. vaginalis. 21 contraceptives and 20 noncontraceptives were employed. In both types of cultures 1 method used to study growth involved mixing of preparation and organisms and intervals of 1 5 or 10 minutes before inoculation of the medium while the other method involved inoculation after the prepartion was added to the medium. These method types are referred to in the study as time exposure and dilution. Evaluation was 48 hours after start of incubation. The contraceptives effective (no growth) at some concentration from 10%-50% against C. albicans by the time-exposure method were the same contraceptives effective by the dilution method. They were Certane vaginal jelly Lorophyn jelly Contra foam Lorophyn suppositories Koromex A vaginal jelly and Lanesta gel. Certane vaginal jelly was effective after exposure (interval after mixing and before inoculation) for 1 minute. Among the noncontraceptive preparations 10 were effective by the time-exposure method and an additional 4 were effective by the dilution method. In an associated test C. albicans was uninhibited by exposure up to 10 minutes in a pH of 2.2-10 thus casting out the possibility that the preparations are effective through pH. By the time exposure method all contraceptives were effective against T. vaginalis most at a 1% concentration. All except 2 noncontraceptives were effective by both methods. The use of some of these preparations contraceptive and noncontraceptive might reduce the females risk of contracting either infection during intercourse.