Is there anything I can do to stop the irritation I'm experiencing from the sponge?

The irritation is likely from the spermicide—and since there’s no way to separate the two, you’re probably out of luck.

Still not working?

Think about trying a method that doesn’t require any spermicide.

If you want to keep using a barrier method, consider using male condoms or female condoms.

You might also consider using a method you don’t have to think about each time you have sex, like an IUD, the shot, the implant, the ring, the patch, or the pill.