That gel has been in development since the mid-90s at least, I remember reading about it in some CDC publication (can't remember where) and it's good to see it's finally going to hit the market. The initial reasons behind developing it were as a HIV prevention tool for women. In many parts of the world women don't have a say-so in using protection, and even right here in the good ol' USA there are women in abusive relationships where telling their partner to use a condom can get them physically beat up. This is a great option, and way better than the female condom.

Most definitely! Even if it became an option, we would still use a condom in conjunction with this method.

My guess is that the price will be so outta sight that condoms will rain supreme for years to come...AND...there are those that will NEVER trust anything else...

There was a contraceptive similar to this out in 1996, {the name escapes me now}. It did not coat the vaginal walls, but simply adhered to your cervix and created a barrier for up to 12 hours. I loved it! Then it was taken off the market a little less than a year later. I was wondering if it would ever come back and perhaps, this is a spin-off to that, but the idea of something sticking to my vaginal walls is a little disconcerting to me.

I am wary of having any harsh chemicals like that in my vagina.
Many years ago, I used a spermicide with a lover. Well, when I went to the doc the next day b/c of horrible pain, he said " it ate away her flesh"!
I had no idea that I had a yeast infection at the time. It turns out that the infection combined with the harsh chemicals really did a number on me. It was about a month for me to recover.
So, for me, no more chemicals down there, instead I always use condoms.

I agree that the manufacturer would make big bucks until the patent ran out and yes we would also purchase but not right away. I'll let the braver souls use it first for at least a year before attempting to play with it with someone else.

In Phoenix a new lubricant "Carrageenan™ Personal Lubricant" made from red algae is being developed and sold (supposed to be countrywide soon). While they can't officially claim it stops STD's, some research has shown the main ingredient does curtail viral growth.

I don't know about the health stuff, but it does ride nice on the way to Greektown.

So, it still sounds like it is in the testing mode. Aww, that sort of sucks. I was thinking it would be great for the swing world!!!! But there is always hope

This is what I found on Medscape: Personal Lubricant (Amphora) May Act as Microbicidal Contraceptive On Sept. 9, the FDA approved marketing clearance for a personal lubricant (Amphora, clinically known as Acidform and made by Instead, Inc.), an acid-buffering gel that coats the vaginal wall and cervix to maintain a natural vaginal pH level between 3.8 and 4.2. According to a company news release, sperm and many sexually transmitted infection–causing microbes are disabled by a woman's natural vaginal pH. Early and preclinical tests have shown the product capable of immobilizing sperm for up to eight hours when applied vaginally as well as inactivating some microbes such as gonococci, herpes, chlamydia, and HIV. The lubricant is compatible with latex and polyurethane condoms. The company notes that full-scale clinical trials will be needed to determine the effectiveness of the product's microbicidal properties, and it anticipates combining the lubricant with a version of Softcup as an over-the-counter barrier contraceptive. The lubricant was originally created by the Topical Prevention of Conception and Disease (TOPCAD) program. Clinical trials are in the works but many promising agents do not pan out in real world trials.

I was reading a health magazine and came upon an article about a gel (brand name Amphora) that coats your vaginal walls, killing STDs, on contact and is a contraceptive. Your body's natural bacteria is not affected. It can be inserted up to 12 hours before sex. It is expected to be approved by the FDA by 2011. I have not had a chance to research this yet. I was wondering if anyone has and if so I would like to know your opinion.