▁St ories ▁by ▁Thomas ▁B aily ▁Ald rich , ▁at ▁Google ▁Books ▁ ▁Category : American ▁short ▁stories ▁Category : 1 8 6 9 ▁short ▁stories ▁Daw , ▁Mar jor ie ▁Daw , ▁Mar jor ie <0x0A> </s> ▁S per mic ide ▁is ▁a ▁contra cept ive ▁subst ance ▁that ▁dest ro ys ▁s perm , ▁inserted ▁v agin ally ▁prior ▁to ▁inter course ▁to ▁prevent ▁pre gn ancy . ▁As ▁a ▁contra cept ive , ▁s per mic ide ▁may ▁be ▁used ▁alone . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁pre gn ancy ▁rate ▁experienced ▁by ▁cou ples ▁using ▁only ▁s per mic ide ▁is ▁higher ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁cou ples ▁using ▁other ▁methods . ▁ ▁Usually , ▁s per mic ides ▁are ▁combined ▁with ▁contra cept ive ▁bar rier ▁methods ▁such ▁as ▁dia ph rag ms , ▁cond oms , ▁cer v ical ▁caps , ▁and ▁sp ong es . ▁ ▁Com b ined ▁methods ▁are ▁believed ▁to ▁result ▁in ▁lower ▁pre gn ancy ▁rates ▁than ▁either ▁method ▁alone . ▁ ▁S per mic ides ▁are ▁un sc ented , ▁clear , ▁unf lav ored , ▁non - st aining , ▁and ▁lub ric ative . ▁ ▁Types ▁and ▁effect iveness ▁The ▁most ▁common ▁active ▁ing red ient ▁of ▁s per mic ides ▁is ▁non ox yn ol - 9 . ▁S per mic ides ▁containing ▁non ox yn ol - 9 ▁are ▁available ▁in ▁many ▁forms , ▁such ▁as ▁jel ly ▁( gel ), ▁films , ▁and ▁fo ams . ▁U sed