There are so many different types of contraception available that you should be able to find the right method. You may have to try several different things before you hit on the one you like most. We have reached the stage where unplanned pregnancies should be rare, because there are so many good methods of birth control.
The male condom is the only method of contraception that boys can use. It’s really just a rubber tube. It’s closed at one end like the finger of a glove so that when a boy puts it over his penis it stops the sperm going inside a girl’s body. An advantage of using male condoms is that a boy can take an active part in using contraception – it’s not just left to the girl.
Contains a progestogen hormone which slowly releases into the body. More than 99% effective. Works by preventing ovulation and also has similar actions as the POP. An injection is needed every 8-12 weeks.
• Some advantages - Very effective. Don’t have to remember to take pills.
• Some disadvantages - Periods may become irregular (but often lighter or stop altogether). Some women have side-effects. Normal fertility after stopping may be delayed by several months. Can’t undo the injection, so if side-effects occur they may persist for 8-12 weeks or slightly longer.
Contraceptive implants
An implant is a small device placed under the skin. Contains a progestogen hormone which slowly releases into the body. Is more than 99% effective. Works in a similar way to the contraceptive injection. Involves a small minor operation using local anaesthetic. Each one lasts 3 years.
• Some advantages - Very effective. Don’t have to remember to take pills.
• Some disadvantages - Periods may become irregular (but often lighter or stop altogether). Some women develop side-effects but these tend to settle after the first few months.
The contraceptive patc
Evra® is a new method of birth control that has been available in Canada since January 2004. It is a 4 cm x 4 cm beige patch that sticks to a woman’s skin and continuously releases the hormones estrogen and a progestin into the bloodstream.
The patch works very similarly to the Pill. They both use hormones to prevent pregnancy, and the only main difference is that you swallow the Pill and the Patch provides the hormones through your skin. The Patch prevents pregnancy by stopping the ovaries from releasing an egg, and it may also thicken the cervical mucus (making it harder for sperm to get into the uterus) and make the uterine lining thin.
The male Pill is still at least five years away from general release, despite the fact that it keeps making headlines. At present, it’s an injection, not a pill. It’s unlikely to reach the British market before 2012.All the methods of contraception of the list are effective. However, no method is absolutely 100% reliable. The reliability for each method is given in percentages. For example, the contraceptive injection is more than 99% effective. This means that less than 1 woman in 100 will become pregnant each year using this method of contraception.
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