SCIENCE / MEDICINE : Chemical in Spermicides Linked to Yeast Infections

Use of nonoxynol-9, the active component in many spermicidal creams and foams, increases the risk of recurrent cystitis and yeast infections in women, according to Dr. Jackie McGroarty of Toronto General Hospital.

Tests in the laboratory, she said, show that nonoxynol-9 serves as a nutrient that promotes the growth of the Eschericia coli bacteria that cause cystitis, as well as Candida albicans, the yeast responsible for vaginal infections. At the same time, the chemical kills lactobacilli, which are found in large numbers in the vagina and which are thought to provide protection against the growth of disease-causing microorganisms. Creams containing the lactobacilli are sometimes used as a treatment for cystitis.

Although nonoxynol-9 is an effective spermicide, and also kills some sexually transmitted microorganisms, McGroarty recommended that women who are in stable monogamous relationships and who have a predisposition to recurrent cystitis and yeast infections use some other method of birth control.