Women and Birth Control: Which Option is Right for You?
Birth control is something that all women who are sexually active and aren’t ready for children need to be thinking about. It doesn’t matter if you are already a mom of three and don’t want any more little ones running around, or if you are a young woman getting serious with your first serious boyfriend: learning about birth control options is incredibly important. All effect a woman’s body and work differently than one another, and knowing what you are putting into your body is crucial as any other information you can educate yourself with. If you are unsure about what type of birth control you want to be on and want to know the ins and outs of all your choices, please read on and educate yourself. I am no doctor, and every assertion made here should be thoroughly discussed with your doctor before starting a birth control regimen, but I at least aim to give you a starting off point to help you in making a decision.
The Pill
How exactly does the pill work? Birth control pills work mostly by preventing ovulation (the release of an egg by the ovaries). Most pills are made of two hormones called estrogen and progestin. Estrogen is a female hormone produced by the ovaries and progestin is a synthetic progesterone used as a contraceptive. For the pill to work, you have to take it every day, preferably as close to the same time every day as possible. As with any medication you take, there are risks of side effects. These could include: nausea, headaches, acne, increased blood pressure, breast tenderness, bloating, weight gain and depression. These side effects will definitely not occur in every woman, and nowadays there are varying types of birth control pills and different hormone levels, so talk to your doctor about which one might work best for you. If you are a smoker and want to take the pill, quitting is highly advised, as smoking can interfere with the pill’s effectiveness.
The Patch
A hormonal birth control patch (which looks similar to a smoker’s nicotine patch) uses the same hormones as the Pill to prevent pregnancy. You can’t just slap the patch anywhere on your body-it needs to be on your butt, stomach, upper torso or outer arm. If you live in a warm climate and don’t want the world knowing you are sexually active, the upper arm may not be the best choice for placement. Similar to the Pill, the patch works in 3 week cycles, and you will need a new patch every week for those 3 weeks.
The Vaginal Contraceptive Ring
NuvaRing, a vaginal contraceptive ring, is a little thin, flexible ring that is inserted into the vagina. It releases hormones that keep you from getting pregnant, just like the Pill and the patch. There’s no specific positioning needed for this little ring-it will work as long as it stays firmly inside the vagina. The ring needs to stay in at all times, and will become far less effective if taken out for more than three hours.
Natural Family Planning
This controversial birth control method is not for the faint of heart (or the disorganized and scatterbrained for that matter). Natural family planning requires a couple to learn when in the woman’s cycle she can get pregnant (usually 4 days before and 2 days after ovulation). They must use a barrier method of birth control or not have intercourse during those days. The way that this method is supposed to work is that sex is thought to be safe during certain days and unsafe on others. If you can’t commit to learning about a woman’s cycle and controlling your urges when it’s unsafe, this is not the method for you.
Happily, most health insurance plans these days offer coverage for most birth control methods. Whether you think you can keep track of taking a pill every day or want something as simple as a patch or ring, you and your doctor can work together to decide the best option. Always call your health insurance provider if you have any questions about what is and isn’t covered under your plan.
photo credit: ooOJasonOoo
Tags: birth control, birth control methods, birth control pill, contraceptive, family planning, health insurance plan, health insurance provider, health plan, health risks
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:28 am
I was not aware that smoking can effect the pill. I would never have known unless reading your post.
Thank you, keep up the good work!
May 27th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Are quit smoking aids really effective? Has anyone here tried any of those stuff and became successful in cutting smoking out of their lives?
November 15th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
You know? If birth control wasn’t so embarrassing, I don’t think we’d see so much unprotected sex! Who here likes to buy ‘regular size’ when the magnums are staring us in the face?