As far as whether or not condoms + VCF are "pretty good," it really depends on how you define that. :) Condoms alone are 85% effective (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=Non-Hormonal_Birth_Control#Condoms) over the course of a year with typical use, and 98% effective with perfect use.
VCF, when used alone, is 71% effective (http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/spermicide.htm) with typical use, and 85% effective with perfect use.
So you combine those two together, and with consistent and correct use, the chance of pregnancy is overall fairly low. For what it's worth, while I have never used VCF before, I have heard anecdotally that it can be difficult to insert and takes some practice. Additionally, some women find that spermicides are very irritating to their vagina, and may increase the risk of infections. So test it out slowly to see how it works for you. :)
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Date: 2008-02-08 08:59 am (UTC)VCF, when used alone, is 71% effective (http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/spermicide.htm) with typical use, and 85% effective with perfect use.
So you combine those two together, and with consistent and correct use, the chance of pregnancy is overall fairly low. For what it's worth, while I have never used VCF before, I have heard anecdotally that it can be difficult to insert and takes some practice. Additionally, some women find that spermicides are very irritating to their vagina, and may increase the risk of infections. So test it out slowly to see how it works for you. :)