Clinical experience with a new gel-alone method of contraception.

Preceptin (p-diisobutylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol and ricinoleic acid) is a gel buffered to pH 4.5. No heavy metallic ion is included. It is stable nongreasy odorless and white. Spermicidal time is 20 seconds even when the gel is diluted 50 times. Mucosal irritation has not been caused. Absorption is negligible. Patients were from a clinic or from a group in private practice in almost equal numbers. All were instructed in use of the method and subsequent interviews were carried out. Results are reported for 498 women remaining after 136 had discontinued the method and 31 had used the preparation irregularly. A total of 14 true failures were reported among 467 patients using Preceptin 2 or more months. This gives a failure rate of 2.99%. Those who used the preparation 6 months or longer had a failure rate of only 1.62%. During the 22-month study period 14 of the 19 patients who had discontinued the method to become pregnant did so within 1 month and 16 did so within 6 months. Of 4046 months of exposure with only 14 failures and a woman-year rate of 4 failures the relative effectiveness was better than with other reported methods. The overall simplicity and acceptability of this product are factors in its continuance. In an acc ompanying discussion some advised the added use of diaphragm.