|
About 6 million American women this year will become pregnant. About half of these pregnancies will be unplanned.
Yet, many women who unintentionally find themselves pregnant, in fact, practice birth control. For some, the problem is they are using birth control either inconsistently or incorrectly.
The more you know about birth control options, the better your chances of avoiding an unwanted pregnancy and reducing your risks of getting a sexually transmitted disease, including AIDS.
What would the consequences of a pregnancy in my life be right now?
How you answer this question likely depends on your age and your own circumstances. If a new baby spells disaster for you, then consider using the most efficient forms of birth control so that you will have the least risk of becoming pregnant.
Do I have access to a doctor or clinic that can help me get prescribed birth control, or do I need it immediately and cannot wait for an appointment?
If you need it now, then head for your pharmacy to buy condoms and spermicide. Then if you can, set up an appointment with your health care provider if you want a prescribed form of birth control.
Am I likely to interrupt sex to apply birth control?
If you don't trust yourself to stop in time, consider using a form of birth control that can be applied before lovemaking, or one that is in place all of the time.
How often do I need birth control?
Although a woman can become pregnant at any time, if you have a steady partner and are sexually active on a frequent basis, your risk of becoming pregnant is far greater than someone's who only engages in intercourse a couple of times a year. If you don't have sex often, then you may not choose to use the pill, which protects against pregnancy every day of the year. But those decisions depend on a number of other factors.
What are my options, and which am I most likely to use every time?
You have plenty of choices ranging from condoms to birth control pills. Many options will not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases and not all are ideal if you have certain underlying medical conditions. A doctor will not give you pills containing estrogen if you have certain types of cancer. Here is a listing of your choices:
Over the counter
- Female and male condoms
- Spermicides - Available in foam, cream, jelly, film, suppository or tablet forms, spermicides are inserted deep into the vagina to kill sperm.
- Sponge - A disposable, donut-shaped polyurethane device that contains spermicide that is inserted into the vagina to cover the cervix
From your doctor
- Diaphragm - A rubber disk that must be filled with spermicide and then placed deep in the vagina to cover the cervix.
- Cervical cap - Fits snugly around the cervix
- The shield - A dome-shaped rubber disk with a valve and a loop that is held in place by the vaginal wall.
- The pill - Uses the hormones estrogen and progestin to suppress ovulation.
- The patch - Delivers a steady flow of hormones - progestin and estrogen through the skin
- Implants - Match-sized sticks placed under the skin of the upper arm to release hormones.
- Injectable hormones Injected into the buttocks or arm muscle every three months
- The ring - A flexible ring about 2 inches in diameter that is inserted into the vagina and releases progestin and estrogen to protest against pregnancy for one month
- Intrauterine devices - A T-shaped device inserted into the uterus
- Permanently blocking the fallopian tubes - If you are certain you never want to get pregnant again.
NOTE: The FDA announced in November 2004 that a "black box" warning, highlighting that prolonged use may result in loss of bone density, will be added to the labeling of Depo-Proveraź, an established injectable drug approved for use in women for prevention of pregnancy. If you have concerns, talk with your doctor.
|
Related Articles
|
|
External Sources
|
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
Return to the previous page
|
