Relationship of vaginal spermicides to birth defects

Concerns surrounding suspected teratogenic agents are always volatile. This is underscored when the suspected agent is a commonly used substance, such as a spermicidal jelly or cream. This review compares one of the first studies suggesting an association between birth defects and spermicides with subsequent ones. These studies were precipitated by animal studies and case findings and were cohort or case-control types studies (randomized clinical trials might be ethically objectionable). Several of these studies were more exacting in defining exposure data, controlling for bias and statistically testing resultant data. While these studies seem to confidently indicate that spermicide use is not related to a higher incidence of birth defects in the offspring of users, there is still concern that spermicide use could be associated with certain specific malformations. It remains for future studies to control for confounding variables in these results.