Where can I order contraceptive sponges online?

March 30, 2009 3:58 PM

Where can I order contraceptive sponges online?

I know they are not sold in the U.S.; what are my other options? Canada? Mexico? The U.K.? They are non-prescription so I don't think there should be any legal issues.

I have found some on eBay but $30/sponge is a little out of my/our price range.

posted by anonymous to shopping (8 comments total)

They are sold in the US. Have you tried any US pharmacy website, like Walgreens?
posted by mikeh at 4:03 PM on March 30

I stand corrected as production of the major brand apparently ceased in the US. Mea culpa.
posted by mikeh at 4:07 PM on March 30

Unfortunately they're not being sold in Canada, either.

They're available on amazon for a whopping $399 for 12 sponges but those prices aren't any better than what you're seeing on eBay.
posted by kate blank at 4:43 PM on March 30

This article suggests the problem is that only one company made them, and it went bankrupt in December. I don't understand why manufacturers aren't fighting over making a product that so many women love.
posted by CunningLinguist at 4:44 PM on March 30

On Wikipedia, it says that outside the US (Today sponge) there are also Pharmatex (in France and Quebec) and Protectaid (in Canada and Europe). Pharmatex was listed as having a better rate, so I looked that up.

It seems that you can buy Pharmatex online here (among many others listed). Try googling Pharmatex or Protectaid to find sponges online. (Pharmatex still seems pricey, to me, but maybe searching with these other names will help find them sold more cheaply somewhere else.)
posted by Houstonian at 5:07 PM on March 30

My understanding is that they're made using a complicated manufacturing process and that's why no other company has snapped the product up - not every company has the ability to make them. But yeah, somebody really needs to. I was ecstatic when they came back on the shelves and crushed when they were gone. I bought some overpriced ones on ebay.
posted by selfmedicating at 5:11 PM on March 30

It looks like this online pharmacy sells them for $10.77/3 packs. I'm not sure if "packs" means 3 sponges or 3 boxes, though. Worst case scenario is that you're shelling out $3.50/contraceptive, which is still a lot for everyday usage.
posted by zoomorphic at 6:10 PM on March 30 [1 favorite]

Is there much difference in the experience between a contraceptive sponge and a diaphram? Because those are pretty good. (They do have to be fitted by a doctor - but just once. And after that are reusable for years.)
posted by jb at 7:28 AM on March 31