The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has finalized a new ruling that will require manufactures of certain contraceptive gels, foams, films and inserts to have a warning that the products do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The warning must be included on all over-the-counter products that contain nonoxynol 9 which is used in many spermicides.
"FDA is issuing this final rule to correct the misconceptions that the chemical N9 in these widely available stand-alone contraceptive products protects against sexually transmitted diseases," Janet Woodcock, FDA's deputy commissioner for scientific and medical programs, said in a statement.
The new warning also states that because the products can irritate the vagina and rectum they may increase the risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS because skin irritation increases the risk of infection as it gives the infection another entry point into the body.
The additional warning was first proposed in 2003 after a study in Africa and Thailand found that woman using contraceptive gels were at a higher risk of contracting HIV or other sexually transmitted disease due to the fact that they were unaware that the products did not protect them from the illnesses.
[Source: Yahoo News]
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