Students who purchase or receive contraceptives from University Health Services (UHS) may notice a change in the availability of products.

Recently, the UHS pharmacy has stopped selling condoms with the spermicide nonoxynol-9 because research from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown that lubricant containing this spermicide provides no protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

This research has also indicated that nonoxynol-9 can actually increase, rather than decrease, the risk of passing certain STIs, including HIV.

"Lubricants with this spermicide cause irritation in the vagina and micro-abrasions in the vaginal tissue, which basically increases the transmission of STIs" by offering infections another way to enter the body, said Margaret Spear, director of UHS.

Spear said that UHS has always provided nonlubricated condoms as well as those containing nonoxynol-9 and has only recently decided, based on recommendations and research by the WHO and CDC, to pull them off the shelves of its pharmacy.

"Condoms with spermicide are absolutely effective in preventing the transmission of STIs," Spear said. "They're not 100 percent [effective] but they certainly increase an individual's protection."

Bruce Jansen, clinical director of general medicine at UHS, said that not only is the lubricant containing the spermicide irritating, but the small amount that is present on the condoms does little to aid pregnancy prevention.

"It didn't really add anything for protection against pregnancy above and beyond using the condom in the first place, and as it turns out it actually increased the risk for STIs," Jansen said.

UHS had been selling condoms with spermicide since they became available years ago, Spear said.

However, an article published in The Daily Collegian on March 15, 1995, revealed that HealthWorks, a student organization affiliated with UHS that provides health workshops and resources to the university, had stopped giving out condoms with spermicide after the Food and Drug Administration called into question the efficacy of nonoxynol-9.

"We have to be careful about the lubricants [with spermicide] because some people might be allergic, and it's safer to give out the regular condoms rather than taking risks," said Megan Swody, a HealthWorks educator.

A 2001 report from WHO showed that condoms containing nonoxynol-9 were not better than regular condoms at preventing pregnancy or STIs, said Sharon Shriver, assistant professor of biology.

"The WHO said that [condoms with spermicide] should no longer be promoted, and what UHS is doing is consistent with the research," Shriver said.

Spear said she was unsure about when research detailing the potential problems with nonoxynol-9 was first published.

Jansen said that researchers at Penn State who reviewed the literature about nonoxynol-9 decided "there was enough evidence to show that [UHS] really shouldn't be giving them out at all."

Noah Wiegand (junior-economics) said the fact that UHS is selling condoms in the first place is good sign.

"I guess it's good that they stopped selling [condoms with spermicide], but I don't think it's that big of a deal because using condoms is a good practice to begin with," Wiegand said.

"It's the people's choice to purchase condoms with or without spermicide, as long as people know the risks and UHS isn't trying to hide the information," he added.

Elizabeth Cramer (junior-animal bioscience) said she thinks UHS has good intentions, and that the real blame lies with the manufacturer of the condoms.

She said she thinks UHS should inform students of the problem with using condoms with spermicide, but she still trusts their credibility because they are dealing with the problem.

Brian Ososkie (junior-arts and architecture) said that students should be made aware of the risks and effects of using condoms with spermicide.

"In this day and age, we don't need one of our most reliable forms of protected sex to increase the transmission of diseases," he said.