The first puzzle – let’s say you have a hundred women. Among these, one third is given into sexual slavery to the journal. Out of this third part, another third is Afro-Americans. Attention to the question: what is Pearl Index? That’s right. This Pearl shows how many women out of one hundred are protected by the selected contraceptive means during the year, as a result, they become pregnant. The lower this index the better you are protected. For example, condom’s index is 12, which is quite a lot. What do Afro-American concubines, you ask. Thus, the image is beautiful.
Canadian Health&Care Mall collects all the data about main methods of contraception, its advantages, and disadvantages, including a figure of Pearl Index.
Pros and cons of the most popular birth control methods
Condoms
Pros:
- Better than anything, condoms protect against infections. Efficiency is 85-90% (less only for mycoplasma and herpes).
- Security, even indifferent to health, if you do not have an allergy to latex.
Cons:
- They have to be bought, kept in your pocket and timely put it on (according to a study of Sanders-Graham-Crosby, 50% of women do not possess this skill: they put on the condom on partner after the beginning of intercourse).
Vasectomy
This method could be considered a barrier method with great reserve, it is the only barrier to sperm but caused by pills and latex, but by your tied (surgically) deferent ducts. Vasectomy does not affect the number of sperm that cannot be estimated by lovers.
Pros:
- Nearly one hundred percent efficiency.
- Contraception is always with you, it is necessary to download the new firmware and in general as to take care of its maintenance.
Cons:
- Vasectomy is suitable only if you’ve got what some children already. Because you can not get more children.
- Since reconstructive surgery is a procedure several orders of magnitude more complicated than basic knots knitting. The result of it is unpredictable. It often happens that it is altogether impossible.
Female Sterilization
Pros:
- Nearly one hundred percent efficiency.
- One operation for life.
Cons:
- It is regulated by law, and even in the majority of the countries, it is banned for nulliparous women to 35 years.
- Conditionally irreversible. Reconstructive surgery is possible but there are so many reservations.
There is, however, reversible method of sterilization, when spiraling device is introduced into the ostium of uterine tube, making it impossible to arrange “rendezvous” for egg and sperm. But this method is rather widespread.
Combined Oral Contraceptives (COCs)
Pros:
-
A few side effects. At a constant reception for two years or more it is reduced the likelihood of various gynecological diseases development. - The long history of observation and quality control: in the civilized world, such tablets have been used for 50 years already.
Cons:
- Require daily administration and, consequently, the presence of a certain amount of gray matter in the female head. If the receiving circuit is broken, COCs lose effectiveness.
- Do not lend themselves to severe male control: it is not clear relating to form of pills what your woman is taking – contraceptives or glycine – and therefore there may be observed deceptions and intrigues (well, all of sudden).
- Certain categories of women, such as smoking ladies over thirty years old, are contraindicated due to an increased risk of side effects. Even there are cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
- Bad reputation: if your woman decided not to “sit on hormones”, make sure it is logically impossible. Moreover, there are side effects such as weight gain and headache, even in the most modern contraceptives.
If your woman’s preconception is spread only to release form of combined contraceptives, you can offer her patch or vaginal ring. You do not even have to lie, that these means are more forgiving and less hormone. So often it is. Oh yes, there are mini-pills! They do not contain estrogen, and besides, more harmless visually – due to their size.
Injections and Implants
Relentless need every day to take birth control pills often leads to a truly Zen riddle like “I forgot to take their three days. Can I take now three birth control pills at once? “To answer the endless questions of visitors, doctors have come up with long-lasting solutions.
Pros:
- Long-lasting effect: 3 months in case of injection and 5 years for implants.
- Do not require feats of self-discipline. Injections should be done rarely, as always organizer or secretary remind you – after all, she is also interested in this.
Cons:
- All procedures are invasive and require a visit to a doctor. You can theoretically handle intramuscular injection, but not subcutaneous implantation.
- How few side effects may be caused by modern drugs, in this case, they are irreversible: if an injection is made, and something went wrong, it will follow you for the whole period of drug action.
Intrauterine Devices
Pros:
- The effectiveness of some “spiral” solutions – up to 99%.
- Its application is very convenient -place and forgotten. Moreover, you place it not in himself, but in herself. While there, periodically you should monitor position, sorry for the details.
- Can be used after six weeks after labor.
- No «draconian» restrictions on age and smoking, typical for COC’s.
Cons:
- Not recommended for nulliparous women.
- Any foreign object in the body reduces the local resistance to infection.
- Your partner cannot be infected with STD anymore. That is, you and all other men are now obliged to use condoms.
It must be remembered about another important point. These things imply well-known unpleasant fact: pregnancy is still possible when it is used. The sperm unites with the egg – life is actually in its infancy, but it does not go further more. The resulting zygote cannot attach to uterus wall because of local effects, created by a spiral. This is called an ectopic pregnancy, and it is not an occasion for jokes. Urgently to the hospital!
Natural Methods
Pros:
- They are always with you, they do not need to buy at the pharmacy. That is, you pay only for sex, not for birth control meds!
Cons:
- Most of the so-called natural contraceptive methods do not work and are based on myths. Even Pearl Index is very high for interrupted sexual intercourse, and it is even higher for the rest tricks and subterfuges.
- Again, there are studies showing harm after interrupted sexual intercourse for prostate health. They are not backed by proper evidence of a device, but still somehow disturbing.
“I have safe days”, ” The sperm remains alive only at temperatures below 36 degrees “- which only phrases not respond with joy to the hearts of irresponsible partners! Some even still believe in lemon, inserted into you understand where, and in that, in the cowgirl position, you can not get pregnant. Still, do not believe in it! Cash – zero. Hassle – zero. Guarantees – well, let’s not zero, but rather, they are not available if properly understood the word “guarantee”.
In general, natural methods – one of the most unreliable. Indeed, scrotum overheating sometimes prevents conception. A breastfeeding or severe stress in some women go astray and even completely disappear ovulation mechanism. However, it is not worth relying on the whims of nature. Sperm contains not only in sperm cells but also in lubricant, they live in tubes sometimes for ten days in a row (that is, they can survive). Do not consider all these dances with tambourines as serious methods of contraception: and turn your attention, for example, in the most reliable, according to experts, methods. They did, of course, have saved for last.
Conclusion
Just as you know, our consultants generally tried not to use the word “contraception”. Supposedly it has a sense of undesirability and it is better to talk, “family planning.” The matter is this: today you do not plan it, but tomorrow you may strive to have it.
Therefore, in most cases, especially with an unfamiliar partner, with whom you have yet even lunch you do not really plan, doctors recommend the use of “Double Dutch Method”. This is when a woman takes COCs, and man uses condoms. You will not only be protected from unwanted pregnancy but from the risk to have STD’s.
Canadian Health and Care Mall provided you with various methods of contraception (birth control means) and it is up to you to decide what is more suitable for you.