In actual use among a group of average women, including some women who do not use foam and condoms every time, foam and condoms are highly effective in preventing pregnancy. The effectiveness increases if you know your fertile time of the month and take care to use foam and condoms during that time. About one in one hundred women will become pregnant in a period of one year, using foam and condoms in this manner. Women who use them all the time and always use them correctly may achieve even greater effectiveness.

Foam and condoms are a safe method of birth control and do not compromise a women's health. The advantage to this method of birth control is that a woman has protection against getting a sexually transmitted disease. Possible effects that may occur from using them are an allergic reaction to the foam or the condom. If this happens (itching, rash, burning, and swelling could be signs) changing to a different brand can sometimes help.