Myth Busters – Is Coca-Cola a Contraceptive?

Young people today would probably be surprised to learn that cola was ever considered a potential form of birth control, but those alive in the ‘50s and ‘60s may remember that Coca-Cola was once rumored to help sexually active couples prevent pregnancy. As the lore goes, a woman could shake up a bottle of the carbonated beverage after intercourse and spray it into her vagina as a sort of spermicidal douche.

As ridiculous as it sounds, keep in mind that birth control was not nearly as accessible to all women in this time, whereas Coca-Cola was plentiful and inexpensive. Presumably, some women resorted to the cola douche because they did not have other options.

The Coca-Cola rumor lingered long enough that the MythBusters team approached Dr. Turek, an expert in sperm biology, to help them figure out how Coca Cola irrigation of the female reproductive tract after sex could be a contraceptive. They wanted to better understand if there was any biological basis for a Coca Cola “contraceptive effect.” See the video below:

On reviewing their “scientific” experiments, Dr. Paul Turek helps Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage conclude that Coca-Cola does not necessarily kill sperm on contact, but with the help of its carbonated properties, simply washes the sperm out of the female reproductive tract. However, water appears to do just as good a job, if not better, than Coca-Cola and does not leave women at risk for yeast infections. At the same time, neither liquid is effective at preventing pregnancy. Women would have more success using an actual spermicidal gel or foam that kills the sperm rather than merely dilutes it.

Hence, the Coca-Cola “contraceptive effect” myth is… busted! Save your Coca-Cola for an occasional treat and stick to proven methods of contraception. To schedule a consultation with a leading male reproductive health specialist, please call 1-888-TUREKMD today.