Contraception
Preventing pregnancy can be best achieved by avoiding sexual activity, or by the permanent solution of a tubal ligation for a woman or vasectomy for a man. For consideration today is the situation of preventing pregnancy whilst being sexually active, and retaining the ability to fall pregnant at some future time of choice.
The chance of falling pregnant for a couple having sex on average twice a week is about 20% per month. This figure is somewhat higher for a younger woman and lower for a woman who has reached her thirties. Therefore delaying too long before starting a family decreases your chances of success. Effective contraception will lower that one in five chance to one in several hundred, but there is no foolproof method.
The range of methods – in decreasing order of effectiveness – is hormonal manipulation (which includes the oral contraceptive pill, three monthly injections and three yearly implants), intrauterine devices (which can have hormonal activity as well), barrier methods (such as condoms or diaphragm) and natural or rhythm methods.
vaginal ring, the hormonal patch and the male hormonal contraceptive.
Emergency contraceptive pill
The side effects of these choices vary from method to method and from person to person. Hormonal methods can be associated with weight gain, acne, nausea, pigmentation changes to the skin, and breast tenderness. Intra uterine devices can be associated with heavier or more painful periods, and if the method fails and a pregnancy occurs there is a higher risk of it being an ectopic pregnancy – which can be a medical emergency. Barrier methods can produce local irritation. Past and present medical history can also influence choices. A woman with a history of clotting problems should not take the pill, nor should a smoker over 35 years of age.
There is no one size fits all when it comes to contraception. It is a subject that couples should discuss with their general practitioner, and it is often a matter of trial and error to find the method which best suits any individual.
