Cervical cap

Insert one finger into the vagina to grasp the removal strap on the cervical cap and twist to remove it. For more, check out our section on how to remove the cervical cap.

No, the cervical cap does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The best way to prevent STIs if you’re having sex is using a condom or the internal condom. Dental dams, gloves, some vaccines (HPV and hepatitis B vaccines) and daily medications, such as PrEP for the prevention of HIV, also offer STI protection. If you’re concerned about both pregnancy and STIs, you can these options for STI prevention at the same time as the cervical cap.

This can happen if you’ve left it in more than 48 hours.

Try this: Rinse it thoroughly and let it dry. If the odor sticks around, you may want to get checked for a condition called bacterial vaginosis (a condition that can cause that bad-smelling discharge).

Most people with a penis are not able to feel the cervical cap, but some people may feel it during sex.

Most people don’t feel the cervical cap inside of them if it’s inserted correctly.

“The irritation could actually be from an allergy to spermicide.

If the irritation isn’t too bad, you might want to try another brand of spermicide.”

This one’s a little confusing. We only know about the effectiveness of the cervical cap based on typical use (not perfect use) and it’s between 71% and 86%, depending on whether someone has been pregnant before and what size cap they use.

In other words:

14 out of 100 people who have never been pregnant, have not had a vaginal birth, and use small or medium sized cap, will get pregnant when they don’t want to during the first year they use the cap.

29 out of 100 people who have had a vaginal birth or use a large size cap, will get pregnant when they don’t want to during the first year they use the cap.

Ouch! The good news is that the cervix heals pretty quickly. You might want to practice putting in and taking out your cap before you need it for birth control. The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll get and hopefully it won’t happen very often.

Inserting and removing the cervical cap is pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. To prevent pregnancy, it needs to be filled with spermicide, cover your cervix, and stay in place for 6 hours after sex. You might want to practice putting it in and taking it out a few times before sex so you are a pro when you need it.

If you’re new to the cervical cap, it can take some practice to get it right. Practicing ahead of time can make putting the cervical cap in when you need it easier.