Pills, injectables, IUDs, condoms…these are just a few of the various contraceptive methods available for women today.
How do you know which one is right for you?
Different women have different habits, activities and physical characteristics. Pretty much like choosing a shampoo, you have to find one that is just right for you.
THE PILL
It was invented in the 1960s and women have been using it ever since. As of the latest count, there are more than 100 million women who take the pill everyday.
How it works: Each tablet contains hormones to prevent ovulation or the release of an egg from the female ovary.
In order to create a human being, the egg has to meet with the sperm and form an embryo. Since no egg is produced, no life is formed.
Success rate: If taken consistently at the same time everyday, the pill provides a 99% success rate.
INJECTABLES AND IMPLANTS
For women who are very forgetful, the pill may not be the ideal choice. The injectable or implant is a much better and worry-free alternative.
Injectables are hormones injected on the upper arm or buttocks every 3 months.
An implant, on the other hand, is introduced under the skin of the arm and remains there for 3 years.
Both types afford protection for the entire duration.
How it works: The hormone contained in both formulation is pure progesterone which is the same as the pregnancy hormone. Therefore, it is safe for breast-feeding mothers.
Success rate: Like the pill, the injectable and implant provide 99% protection when shots are received on time.
CONDOMS
If the pill was introduced in the 60s, the condom was first used at a much earlier date—during the Egyptian times, in fact, or 1000 B.C.
The first condoms were either pieces of linen cloth or sheep’s intestines.
Even then, the condom was not only a birth control method but mainly used to prevent the spread of disease.
How it works: There is no direct contact between the male and the female’s body fluids. The sperm and the egg never meet.
This method of contraception is advisable for couples who have sex only occasionally, for example, less than once a week.
More frequent encounters of three or more occasions per week would warrant hormonal contraception since there would be a higher chance of accidental rupture of the condom.
There are other devices available abroad which also provide a barrier type of protection such as the sponge, vaginal ring, cervical cap, diaphragm and the female condom.
Like the tampon, inserting a foreign object inside the vagina is not very appealing to Filipina women. That’s why these other methods have never become popular here.
Success rate: With typical use, the condom can prevent pregnancy 85% of the time.
IUD
The intrauterine device or IUD is a T-shaped plastic and/or metal device that is inserted inside the uterus of a woman. It remains there for 3to 5 years.
There are several types: inert (stainless steel or plastic), copper and hormonal.
How it works: The copper IUD works by increasing the level of copper ions inside the uterus causing death of the sperm, very similar to a spermicide. No sperm will be able to swim up to the egg.
The last type of IUD is the inert IUD. It has no bioactive component. It relies on the premise that the IUD will produce an inflammatory reaction inside the uterus preventing the attachment of the embryo.
This method is quite disturbing and certainly, unacceptable, since the prevention of pregnancy occurs AFTER fertilization when the sperm and the egg have already met.
Success rate: The hormonal IUD is the best choice because by the presence of hormones, no ovulation will occur 99.8% of the time.
Just to reiterate: No ovulation means no egg. No embryo is formed. No life is destroyed.
Be very careful in making a contraceptive choice because the manner in which each one prevents pregnancy varies (medically and, depending on your religious beliefs, morally).
Ignorance is not an excuse. Know your options to provide for yourself and your family a better future.
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