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Caya® Diaphragm Survey 2017
Results of the 4th annual Caya® post marketing survey (PMS)
Methodology and recruitment.
Women who purchased a Caya® Diaphragm in Germany between May and June 2017 were invited to participate in a consumer survey. Our aim was to collect “at least 100 responses”. Women got notice of the survey via an insert included in the consumer packaging. This insert provided instructions for how to access the questionnaire online. We also used the Caya® Facebook page in German language to lead to this survey. A total of 262 women completed the survey in 2017.
Results from this year’s post marketing survey confirm that more and more women want to use a non-hormonal contraceptive option without side effects – and only when they need to use contraception.
Almost half of the respondents choose Caya® as contraceptive method as it has no contraindications. The fact that Caya® only has to be used when a woman wants to have sex was the decisive criterion for 27 % of the participants (see Figure 1).
Women can use Caya® self-determined – whenever they want to do so. Furthermore, the survey showed that the awareness for the importance of contraception and sexuality has significantly increased. 17 % of the women using Caya® reported their wish to be more aware of their own contraception and sexuality. An important aspect for the decision to use Caya®: it’s hormone-free.
Why do you prefer Caya® to other contraceptive methods?
Which contraceptive method did you use before?
Analogous to the previous surveys, most women in this survey reported their previously used method was a hormonal pill. About 57% of the participants had previous experience with hormonal methods before they decided to use a Caya® diaphragm.
(see Fig. 2)
Is this the first time that you use a Caya® Diaphragm?
This year’s survey results confirm responses in the Caya® survey from last year: More women who have no previous experience with the method of a diaphragm are choosing Caya®.
Only 8% reported having used Caya® before, compared to 18.2% in the survey in year 2014, the first year of consumer experience.
This proves that Caya® is also appropriate for “diaphragm beginners”: 92.4% of women confirmed this was the first time they used the Caya® diaphragm (see Figure 3).
What is your age?
Caya® diaphragm is used by women of all ages and in different situations of their lifes. This is also underlined by this year’s survey results: Almost half of the respondents are between 25 and 35 years old. Compared to the survey in year 2016, the group of women in the age between 35 and 45 years decreased. The percentage of women under 18 years has decreased as well compared to the previous surveys in 2016 (see Figure 4).
How did you learn about Caya® Diaphragm?
58% of the participants reported they learned about Caya® diaphragm via the internet – 21% of this group specifically reported they learned about Caya® by Facebook (see Fig. 5). For two years now, women who are interested in Caya® or those who use it regularly get information via Facebook. Facebook is a good way to reach women for this female contraceptive barrier device.
Healthcare providers, such as gynecologists, are the next most cited source of information about Caya®. About 20% of the participants reported they first got notice about the Caya® diaphragm at their regular check-up visit at the gynecological practice. This trend underlines the need to continue the systematic outreach to healthcare providers with basic information about the Caya® Diaphragm.
Are you in a stable relationship?
Similar to our last survey about 90% report they live in a stable relationship (see Figure 6).
Number of children
About 60% of the respondents reported not having children (similar to previous years, see Figure 7).
Did you have problems at the first use of the Caya® diaphragm?
Caya® is “as easy to use as a tampon” – the survey results of 2017 prove this statement again.
Most of the women in this survey were using this product and this method for the first time in their life. About 86% reported having no problems using Caya® (see Figure 8).
This also was documented during clinical studies implemented in the United States with respect to the use of the Caya® diaphragm. It was reported that out of the 500 participants, nearly 80% correctly inserted and confirmed correct position of the diaphragm in the vagina after just reading the instructions (i.e. without any coaching or counseling from a healthcare provider).
Do you use Caya® together with another contraceptive method?
Some women (41.8%) reported using the Caya® diaphragm in combination with other methods (see Figure 9). Condoms, natural family planning (fertility awareness methods) and the sympto-thermal method (STM) were mentioned most frequently.
More than half of the respondents (58.2%) reported using the Caya® diaphragm alone and not in combination with another method. Caya® diaphragm is “standing alone” as a safe and effective method. In clinical studies, Caya® diaphragm has similar effectiveness to traditional diaphragms that are fitted in multiple sizes and to other barrier methods such as male condoms.
Consumers have various reasons for using a combination of methods. Some may use fertility awareness to identify the period of ovulation days. They might want to use two methods at this period to avoid unwanted pregnancy. Others may want additional protection from STIs. Condoms are the recommended method to prevent STIs.
Does the Caya® diaphragm affect your sex or libido?
Similar to results from the surveys in 2015 and 2016, the answers about the impact of the Caya® diaphragm on the sexual activity indicates that Caya® does not interfere with sex for the females. About 34% of women confirmed that having sex with the Caya® diaphragm is even better than before and more relaxed (see Figure 10).
How does your partner like the Caya® diaphragm?
How does your partner like the Caya® diaphragm? This question was also raised in this survey. The majority (66.3%) of the participants indicated that their partner also liked Caya® as the chosen method of contraception (see Figure 11). This indicates that contraception by all means is a matter of partnership and that both partners should agree with the method of contraception. Nevertheless, 21.5% said that their partner doesn’t care.
Does your partner feel Caya® during sex?
As before, we asked again in this survey whether the male partner could feel the Caya® diaphragm while having sex: 75% of the participants reported that their partner did not feel at all the Caya® diaphragm or did not feel it as disturbing. This is an increase of 15% compared to last year’s survey (see Figure 12).
Why do you prefer Caya® to other contraceptive methods?
For the first time, the Caya® survey included the question why women prefer Caya® to other contraceptive methods. For almost half of them, the most important point is that Caya® has no contraindications. Furthermore, women like that Caya® only has to be used when having sex (see Figure 13).
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The results from this survey confirm and build additional evidence that the Caya® contoured diaphragm is appropriate for use by women of all ages and different situations in their lifes and relationships. The most important factor that motivates women to use Caya® is looking for a non-hormonal method.
We expect to see more young women choosing Caya® in the future. Caya® diaphragm is now well established in the German speaking markets (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) as well as in the European market and gets more and more popular as well in the US. By the end of 2017, more than 100,000 women in over 30 countries use the Caya® diaphragm.
We thank all women who have participated in this Caya® survey 2017.