Birth Control Options for Women
Any type of birth control option used by women is going to have an upside and a downside that goes along with using it. Some options have health benefits that go along with taking them.
If you want to plan the time that you start a family, you’ll want a method that’s easy to stop using at any time. If you want to avoid having a family, then you’ll want a birth control that gives you the safest, most effective choice.
When you’re trying to decide which birth control is best for you, consider the most important features - the effectiveness of the method and how this method can possibly affect your health.
One of the most popular methods of birth control works in relation to a woman’s monthly menstrual cycle and even helps regulate the cycle. That method is oral contraceptives. These prevent pregnancy by not allowing eggs to leave the ovaries.
This is one of the most effective methods of birth control. The pill can both increase the risks associated with some cancers as well as decrease the risk associated with other cancers. Knowing your family health history is important before deciding to use oral contraceptives.
Another method that’s popular is the patch. Using the patch is a “wear it and forget it” method because you don’t have to remember to take pills. The patch is used three times a month in order to prevent pregnancy. However, it doesn’t protect against diseases transmitted through sex.
For women who prefer to deal with birth control methods even less often, there’s a hormone shot that has the same effect of the once a day contraceptive pill. This method is used four times a year.
Some birth control methods are internal contraceptive methods. One of these is the vaginal ring. This method is used for twenty-one days with a week off in between three week periods.
Another internal contraceptive method is a condom made for women. These condoms are put in place before intimacy. While they are an effective birth control option and do protect against sexual diseases, some women find that they aren’t as comfortable to use as taking the pill or using the patch.
Using a diaphragm can also help prevent an unplanned pregnancy. With this type of birth control method, you’ll also have to use a spermicide. Some methods come readymade with spermicide, like the sponge. This contraceptive can be used well in advance of intimacy and has to stay inside the vagina for several hours to make sure the spermicide has been effective.
Some methods, like an intrauterine device, can be implanted by your doctor and the time period between changing an IUD can range from once a year to several years. Birth control s a personal choice, but as a woman, you need to take matters into your own hands and not rely on your partner for protection.
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