Contraception: A discussion
Men and women have used contraception, in one form or another, for thousands of years. There is no one method that will suit everyone and individuals will use different types of contraception at different stages in their lives.
With the general trend towards delaying child birth contraception have obtained a certain significance. In this article I will be discussing the common forms of contraception and their various merits.
When you think contraception the first thing that comes to your mind is condoms. Condoms have been present since ages and it is probably the oldest method of contraception other than the cycle method. The condom is a very inefficient primarily because it is very unreliable. You can never expect a man to carry one when it is required. Other than this there is the personal taste with condoms. I have known many people who are uncomfortable with the use of condoms. Condoms, however are very effective at prevent pregnancy if used properly. They also have the added advantage of providing protection against sexually transmitted diseases as well.
Combined oral contraception (COC) - 'the pill' – was first licensed in the UK in 1961. It contains a combination of two hormones: a synthetic oestrogen and a progestogen (a synthetic derivative of progesterone). It is estimated that at least 200 million women worldwide have taken COC since it was first marketed, and there are currently around 3 million users in the UK alone.
Combined oral contraception is easy to use and offers a very high degree of protection against pregnancy, with many other beneficial effects. It is mainly used by young, healthy women who wish a method of contraception that is independent of intercourse.
There are many different formulations and brands of COC . Most modern preparations contain the oestrogen ethinyl oestradiol in a daily dose of between 20 and 35/-Lg. Those containing lower dosages are associated with slightly poorer cycle control.
Before you go on the pill it would be advisable to check with your doctor. Inform him if you have ever had the following diseases: Heart attack, stroke, blood clots severely raised B.P, migraine, breast cancer or liver diseases.Most brands contain 21 pills; one pill to be taken daily, followed by a 7-day pill-free interval. There are also some every-day (ED) preparations that include seven placebo pills that are taken instead of having a pill-free interval. For maximum effectiveness, COC
should always be taken regularly at roughly the same time everyday.For those women who like the convenience of the pill but are unable to take it for various reasons can take the Progesterone only pill(POP). It is less efficient than the COC but is an effective alternative for those who cannot take the COC, especially while nursing.
To obviate the need to take daily tablets, injection have been devised which give a anti-fertility effect for 12-13 weeks. This contains a depot preparation of progesterone and is injected into your muscle. It however has the unpleasant side effect of weight gain and delayed return of fertility.
Intra uterine devices are small devices which are left inside the uterus as a contraceptive measure. They are commonly known by the name Copper T as they have a winding of copper and are T shaped.
Presently many hormone impregnated IUD’s have been developed which not only prevent pregnancy, but also provide relief from dysmenorrhea and dysfunctional uterine bleeding.
Insertion of Copper T must be done by a health care provider and it takes less than 10 min to insert a Copper T. A small string is left floating outside the cervix so that its position may be checked by the women herself.
Intra uterine devices are perfect for women who are in monogamous relationship and who want to space their children. Prior to insertion of IUD pregnancy and pelvic infection must be ruled out. They provide sufficient protection for 2-3 years after which it will have to be replaced.
Some of the common side effects which are seen after insertion of IUD are pelvic pain and heavy periods. But these resolve by 2-3 months and very few women have to have the IUD removed for these reasons.
If you do not desire to retain your reproductive potential you or your partner could go for a sterilisation surgery. During this surgery the fallopian tubes are ligated on the ends so that the ovum will not be able to enter the uterus. This is a permanent method of contraception. Alternatively your husband could undergo sterilisation and it is much easy in case of men. In men the tubes which carry sperms from the testis to the penis are blocked by tying them so that sperms are not present in the ejaculate. If your husband has undergone the operation then he must use a condom for at least six weeks after the surgery as few sperms will be present in the ejaculate till that time.
There are many more methods of contraception, but I do not wish to cover them here for one simple reason. All of them have a very high failure rate and hence cannot be relied upon. And in case of contraception, unreliable contraception is as good as none.