No doubt, the pill revolutionized the way women have control over their health. Today, many birth control methods are now available in various forms like patches, implantable devices, and rings to make it easier for you to find the right contraceptive suitable for you.
Therefore, whether you are a newbie when it comes to contraceptives or you desire to find a new protection method, there are various factors you need to consider. This article discusses the key things to consider before you choose a contraception method.
Read also about what are the top 5 Medicare Supplement plans
How good it can prevent pregnancy
Many people tend to use a contraception method with one goal in mind, and this is to prevent getting pregnant. Most women who are in their reproductive age usually have unprotected sex, leading them to fall pregnant at least once in a while.
Remember that all these types of birth controls are usually determined by their failure rate. This is an estimated percentage of women who can become pregnant during a year while utilizing a contraceptive. Sterilization happens to be one of the most effective contraception methods, and it has a failure rate of at least less than 1 percent. There is also a hormonal method that is also considered to be highly effective. However, the hormonal method needs you to remember to take medication regularly.
Other contraception methods like the patch or ring tend to have higher failure rates of at least between 4 and 7 percent. Lastly, you can decide to use fertility-awareness rhythm and barrier methods that have failure rates of between 13 and 23 percent.
Ideally, you need to use contraception methods that show the highest failure rates during any sexual act. Keep in mind that a contraception method can sometimes not be effective just because you incorrectly used it or you didn’t use it at all.
The timeline for having children
If you are thinking of starting a family quite soon, then it’s a good idea to use short-term contraceptives. For instance, even though the implant is an easy and highly effective contraception method, you need to visit your doctor for insertion and removal. In other words, you can’t just get rid of them. Therefore, if you decide to have children, then it’s a good idea to consider having an implant or even IUD. This means you should avoid doing sterilization if you want to have more children.
While tubal ligation and vasectomy are designed to be permanent, they are also reversible. But you should remember that reversal procedures are not always reversible. As a result, some couples decide to have IVF to get pregnant, though it’s not usually covered by insurance.
The injection is also not considered to be the right choice for women who want to get pregnant in the next year. This is because the medication may sometimes take longer to wear off before you can conceive. Besides, you can stop the patch, ring, or pill whenever you desire, these contraception methods may also take a couple of months to wear off before you can ovulate again. When it comes to condoms or withdrawal, or even natural family planning methods, you can begin immediately once you decide to get pregnant.
The frequency of use
The IUD, sterilization, and implant are considered to be long-term, and they are almost quite effective. When an IUD is inserted, it means you can rely on it for at least between three and seven years. Simply put, hormonal IUDs can last up to 10 years, copper IUDs and the implant can take up to three years while sterilization can last for life.
You need to take or apply the other types of contraception regularly. For example, you need to take the pill every day, and the patch can be changed weekly. There are also vaginal rings that can be swapped or removed and cleaned at least once a month. But remember that this tends to depend on the version you are utilizing. With injections, a healthcare provider can give you every three months.
There are also barrier methods like condoms that you can use every time you decide to have sex. There is also the rhythm method that usually involves tracking the cycle every day by measuring your temperature each morning, assessing your cervical mucus, and many more.
Ease of use
Today, most hormonal birth control measures like the pill, ring, and patch need a prescription from a doctor. Aside from this, you also have to visit your doctor to get the implant or IUD. For the injection, it needs to be administered by any healthcare provider. This means you need to make plans and have time to see your physician at least every three months so that you can be protected. And, sterilization can need surgery, so it’s a must to visit your doctor.
The good thing about long-term contraception methods, such as the implant, yearly ring, injection, or IUD is that you don’t need to think about when to utilize them. The only thing you can do is to make sure that there is regular maintenance at least once every couple of months.
You can find female condoms, spermicides, and male condoms at the drugstores without any prescription. However, you should remember to have them on hand and utilize them properly every time. As you can see, this is not always simple to do, especially if you have a busy schedule.
With device-free methods like withdrawal and natural family planning, they demand precision and knowledge. Therefore, you need to read the literature on natural family planning. In this way, you can understand how the contraception method works and even track your cycles every month. This is a good way you can know the right time to avoid sex.
Alternatively, you can choose to use backup contraception methods, such as condoms at certain times. It’s also worth noting that withdrawal needs proper timing to make sure that the sperm doesn’t reach an egg. It also makes sense to choose a contraceptive method that is easier to follow and meets your needs.
