Today, medicine offers a huge selection of contraceptive methods: from those that can be easily bought online to expensive surgeries. Despite this, at least 16.7 million unwanted pregnancies occur annually in the world. Today, we will speak about the most effective contraceptive methods.
What is the most effective birth control method?
The only 100% way to avoid unwanted pregnancy and infections is sexual abstinence. However, it can be accompanied by side effects such as reduced libido or even depression.
Sterilization is effective in 99.9% of cases. The most important thing to know is that these operations are irreversible; therefore, such a radical method is suitable only for the convinced childfree women or those who have gone out of childbearing age. These methods do not fit most couples. Let’s consider contraceptive methods that are almost 100% effective at preventing pregnancy.
Highly-Effective Ways to Prevent Unwanted Pregnancy
- A condom is the most popular method of contraception. It is very easy to use, it is sold without a prescription and protects not only from unwanted pregnancy but also sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). However, the condom is not nearly as reliable as is commonly believed. With its systematic use, pregnancy occurs in 21% of cases! The probability of its improper use or rupture during sexual intercourse is quite high. There are practically no contraindications and side effects (excluding 3% of people with latex allergies). The use of a condom prolongs sexual intercourse for a short time and this is another advantage for some couples;
- Intrauterine device (IUD). Modern IUDs have the shape of the letter T and braided with copper or silver wire. They are inserted on the 6th day of the period, after termination of the pregnancy or 6 weeks after delivery, and they do not lose the contraceptive effect for 5-6 years. Due to the danger of inflammatory processes, this method of protection is considered “mature” and is not recommended for young girls who have not given birth. Another problem is that a foreign body in the uterus (especially the threads designed to extract the spiral) increases the likelihood of infections, increases menstruation and often makes them abundant, painful and long (due to a violation of uterine contractility);
- Injectable contraceptives and implants. The essence of this method lies in the subcutaneous administration of an implant with hormonal contents, the validity of which is several years. Such tools are simple and convenient, do not require control by the woman but may cause a complete cessation of menstruation or other problems. For example, some implants were simply lost inside the female body, causing infertility;
- Hormonal birth control pills are reliable, safe, do not reduce the pleasure of sex, allowing you not to think about contraception in romantic moments. Another additional benefit is that hormonal drugs allow you to safely delay the onset of menstruation. Tablets need to be taken every day. There are many myths about pills: a sharp increase in weight, an increase in hair and others. These side effects could be caused by oral contraceptives of the previous generation. They did have a wide range of side effects. Today, a properly selected drug allows you to avoid unpleasant consequences. Before use, it is necessary to consult a gynecologist: an experienced doctor will select the necessary drugs based on your age, number of sexual partners, contraindications, medical history. Birth control pills have high efficiency (99%) and reliability – they are widely used by women around the world. Some drugs are also used to treat acne;
- Vaginal rings. Flexible contraceptive rings contain hormones (estrogen and progestogen) in micro doses. The shell of the ring is made of hypoallergenic material and consists of a complex system of membranes that allow a strictly defined amount of hormones to be released every day. A woman can inject the ring herself, it lasts for one menstrual cycle, and most couples do not feel the presence of a contraceptive during intercourse. Taking hormones bypassing the gastrointestinal tract reduces the incidence of side effects (such as nausea) and excessive stress on the liver. Like any estrogen-containing drug, the ring is contraindicated for use during breastfeeding;
- Emergency contraception can be used within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse (or if the chosen method of contraception was unreliable: the condom broke or slipped, you missed 2-3 tablets in the course of hormonal contraceptives). The first pill of the drug should be taken no later than 72 hours after intercourse, the second – after another 12-16 hours. There are also emergency contraception packs containing one tablet. The pills work by inhibiting ovulation and preventing fertilization. They cause changes in the endometrium that prevent implantation of a fertilized egg. Emergency contraception has long been recognized as effective but extremely unsafe for a woman’s health (frequent use can cause infertility).
Category: Birth control
Tags: birth control pill, contraception, Contraceptives, women's health