The Today Sponge, the only contraceptive sponge sold in the United States, has been discontinued with no expected return date. The manufacturer stopped producing it, and there are currently no alternative contraceptive sponges available on the U.S. market. If you’ve been searching drugstore shelves or online retailers without luck, that’s why.
What Happened to the Today Sponge
The Today Sponge has had a rocky commercial life. It was first pulled from the U.S. market in 1995, not because of safety concerns, but because the manufacturer decided it was too expensive to fix problems at the factory where it was made. Because the company voluntarily withdrew the product rather than the FDA pulling it, the sponge’s regulatory approval stayed intact. A new company, Allendale Pharmaceuticals, eventually brought it back to shelves around 2005 without needing new clinical trials.
That second run didn’t last either. The Today Sponge was distributed by Mayer Laboratories in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, but the company has since discontinued it again. No official timeline exists for a return.
Options Outside the U.S.
Two other contraceptive sponges exist internationally but have never been sold in the United States. The Protectaid sponge, a polyurethane foam device, has been available in Canada since 1996 and in parts of Europe since 2000. The Pharmatex sponge, which uses a different spermicide called benzalkonium chloride, has been sold in Europe and Quebec since 1984. Neither is an option if you’re shopping from a U.S. pharmacy.
How the Sponge Worked
For context on what you’d be missing (or what you might remember using), the contraceptive sponge was a small, soft disc made of polyurethane foam coated with spermicide. It worked three ways at once: it physically covered the cervix to block sperm, it trapped and absorbed sperm in the foam, and it continuously released spermicide to kill sperm on contact. You inserted it before sex and left it in place for at least 6 to 8 hours afterward, with a maximum wear time of 30 hours.
Its biggest appeal was convenience. No prescription needed, no hormones, and you could buy it over the counter. It also allowed for multiple acts of intercourse without reinsertion, unlike some other barrier methods.
How Effective It Actually Was
The sponge was never among the most reliable contraceptive options, and its effectiveness depended heavily on whether you’d previously given birth. CDC data breaks it down clearly:
- Never given birth (typical use): 12% failure rate in the first year
- Never given birth (perfect use): 9% failure rate
- Previously given birth (typical use): 24% failure rate
- Previously given birth (perfect use): 20% failure rate
That gap is significant. For someone who has given birth vaginally, roughly 1 in 4 would experience an unintended pregnancy within a year of typical use. Even with perfect use, the rate only drops to 1 in 5. The cervix changes shape after childbirth, making it harder for the sponge to form a reliable seal. For comparison, hormonal IUDs have a failure rate under 1%, and condoms sit around 13% with typical use.
Safety Concerns Worth Knowing
The sponge carried a small but real risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS), the same rare bacterial infection associated with tampons. The CDC documented cases linked to sponge use, particularly when the device was left in too long or was difficult to remove. In reported cases, women had left the sponge in place for 32 hours or longer, with one case involving 5 days of continuous use. The estimated incidence was roughly 10 cases per year per 100,000 regular users.
The spermicide itself, nonoxynol-9, could cause vaginal irritation, itching, or a warm burning sensation. For some women this was mild and temporary. For others it persisted. Notably, nonoxynol-9 does not protect against HIV or other sexually transmitted infections, and the irritation it causes can actually make transmission easier by disrupting the vaginal lining.
Alternatives to Consider Now
If you were looking for the sponge because you wanted a hormone-free, non-prescription option, several alternatives fill a similar niche. The cervical cap and diaphragm both work as physical barriers over the cervix, though they require a fitting from a healthcare provider. Condoms remain the most accessible over-the-counter barrier method and have the added benefit of STI protection. Spermicide is still sold on its own in gels, foams, and films, though used alone it has a high failure rate (about 21% with typical use). The copper IUD offers highly effective, hormone-free contraception for up to 10 years, though it requires insertion by a provider.
If the sponge’s appeal was specifically the combination of no hormones, no prescription, and something you could control entirely on your own, condoms paired with spermicide come closest to replicating that experience with what’s currently on shelves.