So, how can I tell if this in right? (cervical cap edition)

May 15, 2017 4:03 PM

I recently purchased and received a cervical cap (the Caya). I've never worn a diaphragm before, although am a regular user of the diva cup (so I've had some experience successfully inserting things in my vagina!). I've watched the tutorial and read the instructions, but I can't tell, how should I know if it's in right?

When I put my finger up my vagina, I can definitely tell that there is *something* there. Like I can feel the Caya pretty low in my vaginal canal. I've tried tucking the little tab under my pubic bone but there seems to be only so much that it will tuck. For other users of the Caya, how does it feel when it's in right?

posted by twill to Health & Fitness (3 answers total)

Best answer: I have had a cervical cap (disclaimer: not the Caya). The way I would check it is: I would see if I felt my cervix outside the cap; the way it was described was that it would feel like the tip of a nose sticking out of the vaginal wall way up in there. If I felt the cervix and also felt the cap in a different place, I had to re-insert. But if all I felt was the cap, I was good.

My cervix is in a way-back spot so this wasn't easy the first couple times. But with a little practice I got it down.

Good luck!
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:55 PM on May 16, 2017

Best answer: The way to check if it's in correctly is to fell along the rim and make sure it re-expanded after folding it for placement (just like the divacup). And then touch the tip of your cervix (should feel like the tip of your nose) and make sure that is covered by the Caya. Which, FWIW, is a diaphragm, not a cervical cap. A cervical cap only covers the cervix, doesn't sit in the vaginal vault like a diaphragm.

I have no financial interest in the Caya, but was one of the testers for the FDA trials, and love prescribing it for patients.

Also, make sure you use spermicidal gel with it (there are some older studies from the 1950s suggesting that diaphragms might work just as well without, but can't recommend it). If nonoxynal-9 irritates you, you can order contragel from Europe which is lactic-acid based and vegan to boot.

You can place it hours before sex which is great for date night, just remember to leave it in for at least 6 hrs (and no longer than 24). If inserted up to two hours before sex, then no additional steps are necessary. If inserted from three to six hours beforehand, ideally you will place another application of spermicidal gel prior to intercourse.

You can always book an appointment with an OB/Gyn to check if it is in the right position. Make sure to see one who is familiar with diaphragms--some don't have a lot of experience with them, and you might get a lecture about why you don't want something more "effective."

And remember that just like with condoms, the highest failure rate comes from not using it!
posted by eglenner at 12:47 AM on May 18, 2017

Response by poster: Thank you for the replies! I ended up going to a doctor at a local health centre to check that I was putting the caya in correctly. She was, thankfully, pretty familiar with the Caya. I put the caya in at the office and the doctor felt to make sure that I had it in right (and for the most part, I had, she just pushed the little tab a little further behind my pubic bone). She was also not a proponent of nonoxynal-9 and recommended contragel (which is also available here in Canada!)
posted by twill at 1:24 PM on May 19, 2017