Hi. I totally understand how you feel...I'm on the pill, but i'm always worried that it could fail. I usually use spermicides. There are lots of different types, like foams, jelly, film etc. I think they all work basically the same, it just depends on personal preference. Lately, since it's been back on the market, i've been using the sponge and I really like it so far.

As for the time frame of taking your pill, i've heard there's a window of 3 hours where you can take it and not interfere with the effectiveness. You're probably fine taking it between 6 and 11 every day, especially if you're using backup.

My wife and I don't like condoms and she doesn't want any hormonal methods. She doesn't like the idea of having an iud inside her uterus, because she might want to get pregnant again (she's 42), so she prefers to use spermicides (contraceptive gel and occasionally vaginal suppositories) and the sponge. The suppository has to melt in the vagina for about 10 minutes before intercourse, and it has a warm feeling (but it reminds us that we're using birth control). An advantage of the sponge is that you can have intercourse multiple times during the use period, while the gel and other spermicides have to be applied each time. All of these methods block sperm from entering the uterus and also kill the sperm.