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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – The topic of birth control can be very daunting — there are many options, many opinions, and often not a lot of open conversations. High school sex education is often minimal and leaves young people without the information they need to make very important choices regarding reproductive health.
This guide gives some insight into some common different birth control options and what might make someone a good candidate for each. These interventions span variations in cost, commitment, and level of protection, and everyone is different in terms of what will work for him or her. So, let’s get into it.
As many know and are taught, the only fool proof and 100% effective method of birth control is abstinence. While birth control carries the connotation of something you take or use, it does not need to be at all.
Moving into a category that is still natural, but requires more work or maintenance, there are a few options. One such birth control method is fertility awareness, which includes tracking daily body temperatures, assessing cervical mucus changes, and keeping record of your period. This method can be used for family planning or for avoiding pregnancy by timing sex according to fertile and non-fertile days. This method is only about 85% effective and having an irregular cycle will lower that efficacy. The pros – it is cost effective and natural; the cons – it is a lot of work and will not protect from sexually transmitted infections, such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and HPV, among others. Another option is withdrawal, in which the penis is withdrawn before ejaculation. This method has a failure rate of about 27%, meaning that 27 out of 100 withdrawals will still result in pregnancy. The cons are similar to those listed for fertility awareness.
The next category we will discuss is barrier methods. Barrier methods include external condoms, internal condoms, and cervical caps. Efficacy of these methods is 87%, 79%, and 83% respectively and there is more protection against STIs. Both the external and internal condom protect from STIs and HIV, while the cervical cap may protect from some infections, but not HIV. Both external and internal condoms may affect the sensation experienced during sex, which is adverse to some people. However, they are reasonable birth control methods for those that do not want to be on hormones or track fertility. Note that the cervical cap functions similarly to the condoms, but it is fitted to be used repeatedly and needs to be used with spermicide. This makes it slightly more work than the other two barrier methods.
Moving on to oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), which contain hormones to suppress the function of preparing for pregnancy. There are various pills with different hormones or combinations of hormones, with different efficacy for each. What is very important here is that the pills must be taken daily at the same time. When taken correctly, the efficacy of this category goes up dramatically. There are various side effects that might be seen with OCPs – some favorable and others not so much. They include but are not limited to acne, depression, weight gain, headaches, and changes in sex drive. Again, as these are causing hormone changes in the female and not preventing semen from entering the vagina, they do not protect against STIs.
Next, more invasive and with less maintenance required, is the category of intrauterine devices (IUDs). There are two subcategories of IUDs – copper IUDs and hormonal IUDs. The hormonal IUDs again are affecting the hormone cascade in your body that works each month to attempt pregnancy. The efficacy of the hormonal IUDs is over 99%. The copper IUDs are working through creating an incompatible environment for the sperm, raising their efficacy to over 99% as well. The IUDs have to be placed and removed by clinicians, and some women may have uterus injury during placement. The pros, along with the increased efficacy, are that once the IUD is in, it can be left for multiple years without any maintenance and that it can be removed at any time if one wants to become pregnant.
Another implanted form of birth control is the implant, a hormone releasing implant that is put into the arm. As with those listed above, anything not actually blocking semen entry will not prevent STIs. The implant has similar pros to the IUDs – it is long lasting, effective, and low maintenance once inserted. All of these are great options for those who do not feel they are good candidates to take a pill daily.
I hope this provided a good overview of some common birth control options. As many interventions do not protect against STIs, it is recommended that if a female is sexually active, to undergo PAP smears with HPV testing every 3 years. You can find the recommendation guidelines online at the United States Preventative Task Force Services website or through the American College of Gynecology and Obstetrics.