Are There Hormone Free Birth Control Pills

Do Expired Birth Control Pills Still Work Properly After Surgery

There is some evidence that it will continue to work for some time after its expiration date, but it is unknown for how long. Other forms of birth control, such as IUDs and hand implants, also expire, but usually last longer than the Pill.

An intrauterine device, shortened as IUD is a very effective birth control option that prevents pregnancy for a long time. If you have IUD on and decide to get pregnant, you can visit your private gynaecologist to remove it.IUDs are small devices shaped like the letter T, which the doctor places inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy. It is also called intrauterine contraception . The device prevents pregnancy by either releasing synthetic hormones or copper into the female reproductive s

Is It Safe To Vape On Birth Control

Although vaping has been marketed to help people quit smoking, the FDA hasnt approved it as a legitimate smoking cessation device. But does vaping carry the same risks as smoking when combined with birth control?

While there are nine million adults in the U.S. who vape, its relatively new to the market, and there are very few studies on the effects of vaping and birth control.

However, nicotine, the active ingredient in vaping products and cigarettes, is known to increase the risk of blood clots and adversely impact the cardiovascular system of people who take birth control. Despite the lack of definitive studies into the effects of vaping while taking hormonal contraception, its safe to assume that it should be avoided.

Different Types Of Non

Weâll go in-depth about all of your options, which include:

Some sex educators define outercourse as strictly no genital penetration or exchange of body fluids . Other sex educators are more liberal in their definition and limit the term to mean no penis-vagina sex, but allow for oral or anal sex .

One of the biggest problems with heterosexual sex is the fact that âsexâ is narrowly defined as vaginal intercourse, which may not lead to orgasm for many women. In a US study of 1,055 women, only 18.4% were able to orgasm from vaginal intercourse alone, 36.6% needed clitoral stimulation to orgasm during intercourse, and another 36% felt it increased their pleasure .

Outercourse is not only for teenagers â it has the potential to be hugely pleasurable to people of all ages and levels of experience.

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What Happens If A Girl Takes Estrogen

Estrogen side effects and risks

The risk factors and side effects associated with estrogen use include: Blood clots: Estrogen increases your risk of blood clots, which can cause stroke, heart attack, and even death. Cancer: Estrogen may increase your risk of certain cancers, specifically breast cancer.

Determining Your Fertile Days

To determine the length of your longest cycle and subtract 11 from the total number of days of your longest cycle. For example, if your longest cycle is 35 days, subtract 11 from 35 which equals 24. In this example, the first day of your cycle is the first day you bleed and the 24th day of your cycle is your last fertile day. To avoid pregnancy dont have sex during your fertile days- so using the previous examples, no sex from day 8 through day 24. Keep recording your cycle lengths every month to make sure that you are accurately recording your fertile days.FYI certain factors like illness, travel or medicine can affect the exact timing of ovulation so adding another birth control method like a condom is strongly encouraged. Truthfully, fertility tracking does take some getting used to and requires a certain level of commitment. On average 12-24 % of women will get pregnant using the FAM method so if its too soon for breast pumping and diaper changing, think about adding another birth control method.

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How To Start Taking The Minipill

Before starting the minipill, talk to your doctor about what day to begin.

You can start using this pill on any day of your menstrual cycle, but depending on where you are in your cycle, you may have to use a backup birth control method for a few days.

If you start taking the minipill during the first 5 days of your period, you should be fully protected, and you wont need any additional contraception.

If you start on any other day, youll need to use an extra method of protection for at least 2 days.

If your period has a short cycle, you should use additional birth control until youve been on the minipill for at least 2 days.

All oral contraceptives have potential side effects, and they vary in intensity from person to person.

The Cleveland Clinic reports these side effects from the progestin-only minipill:

If you want hormonal birth control without estrogen, the minipill is just one option. There are several other progestin-only birth control options. Each one works differently and has unique side effects and risks.

Heres a quick rundown of your options.

Depo-Provera is an injection. It works the same way as the progestin-only pill. It thickens the mucus around your cervix to prevent sperm from reaching an egg. Additionally, it stops your ovaries from releasing eggs.

Each injection lasts around 3 months.

Like the minipill and progestin injection, an implant releases small amounts of progestin into your system.

This causes:

How Does The Pill Work

Most birth control pills are “combination pills” with a mix of the hormones estrogen and progesterone to prevent ovulation . A female cannot get pregnant if she doesn’t ovulate because there is no egg to be fertilized.

The Pill also works by thickening the mucus around the cervix, which makes it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus and reach any eggs that may have been released. The hormones in the Pill can also sometimes affect the lining of the uterus, making it difficult for an egg to attach to the wall of the uterus.

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Where Are Birth Control Pills Available

A doctor or a nurse practitioner must prescribe the Pill. He or she will ask about a girl’s health and family medical history, and will do a complete physical exam, which may include a pelvic exam. If the doctor or NP prescribes birth control pills, he or she will explain when to begin taking it and what to do if pills are missed.

When your daughter returns to the doctor in a few months, her blood pressure will be checked and she’ll be asked about any problems. After that, girls who are having sex should get routine exams every 6 months to a year, or as recommended.

Why Is There Estrogen In Birth Control Pills

Why is there estrogen in birth control pills? The purpose of estrogen in combined hormonal birth control is to make bleeding predictable . Progestin-only methods can cause changes in menstrual bleeding . So essentially, synthetic estrogens are added to these types of contraceptives to make your withdrawal bleed look more like a normal period.

What does the estrogen in birth control do? The estrogen component of the combination birth control pill serves 3 important functions: it exerts negative feedback action on the secretion of gonadotropins it provides stability to the endometrium, preventing irregular shedding and unwanted breakthrough bleeding and it increases the potency of the progestational

Why is estrogen bad in birth control? Birth control pills work well. The catch is that the more estrogen you take, the more likely you are to have side effects such as headaches, nausea, breast tenderness, and rare but potentially fatal blood clots.

Is estrogen in birth control bad? And estrogen-containing birth control pills may decrease the risk of ovarian cancer and colorectal cancer. On the other hand, research suggests that long-term use of estrogen-containing birth control pills is associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer. This risk increases the longer you take the pills.

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The Birth Control App

A new player in the contraceptive landscape, the birth control app, Natural Cycles, offers a non-hormonal birth control option for the modern woman. Unlike traditional fertility awareness-based methods, the app is assisted by an algorithm that works to identify ovulation through a rise in basal body temperature which happens after ovulation.

Natural Cycles requires women to take their temperature first thing in the morning when they wake up, and enter it into the app. The algorithm then learns the unique pattern of their cycle and can find the fertile window and give green days and red days . Natural Cycles is 93% effective with typical use.

What If You Cannot Use Hormonal Contraceptives

Some contraceptives work by using hormones that are similar to the hormones women produce naturally. These hormones are oestrogen and progestogen.

Contraceptives that contain these hormones aren’t suitable for some women, such as those who have medical conditions like breast cancer.

Not all contraceptive methods use hormones. Some work in other ways, including:

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About The Birth Control Pill

Talking to your kids about sex can be a challenge. But discussing things like abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases , and birth control can help lower teens’ risk of an unintended pregnancy or getting an STD.

Discussing these issues like any other health topics not as something dirty or embarrassing makes it more likely that your kids will come to you with any questions and problems. As awkward as it can be, answer questions honestly. And if you don’t know something, it’s OK to say so, then find out and report back.

If you have questions about how to talk with your kids about sex, ask your doctor. Lots of parents find this tough to tackle, and a doctor may offer some helpful advice.

The Birth Control Pill

Usually, when women and doctors say the pill they are referring to the combination pill, which contains estrogen and progestin. It is important to note that there are two kinds of birth control pillscombination and progestin-only .

The hormones that are found in the pill are not identical to those your body makes. Progestin, the synthetic version of progesterone, is structurally different than the progesterone produced by the ovaries. It also doesnt provide the same benefits that natural progesterone does for your mood, water retention, brain health, etc.

The conventional pill comes in packs of 28 pills with active and placebo pills. Active pills contain hormones, and placebo pills do not.

The number of active and inactive pills per pack depends on the brand. Some brands have 21 days of active pills, and seven days of placebos. Others have 24 days of active pills, and four placebos. Bleeding occurs during the placebo week. Note, this is not a period, this is a withdrawal bleed from a medication.

For women who want to skip their period all together, the continuous or extended cycle birth control is what is recommended. These pill packs have 84 active pills and 7 inactive. There are also pills out there with zero placebo and all active hormone in the pack.

Monophasic vs Multiphasic

The combination birth control pill comes in monophasic and multiphasic dosages.

How Does The Pill Work?

What Are Low Dose Birth Control Pills?

How Effective is The Pill?

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My Top 10 Favorite Low Hormone Birth Control Options And Why

One of the most important things for paleo women to consider is what we are going to do about birth control.

Should you take hormonal birth control? Is it really all that good? Bad? What happens to you when youre on it? Of course, non-hormonal would be ideal for any woman who prioritizes having a natural menstrual cycle. Unfortunately, natural options are really not as abundant as they should be. Check out my top picks for low dose birth control options.

1) condoms and other prophylactics

2) pulling out

3) fertility awareness

4) the copper IUD

This last one is pretty powerfuland popularbut it carries a modest risk of copper toxicity with it and may exacerbate bleeding and cramps during your cycle. The copper IUD also costs a pretty penny somewhere in the neighborhood of $500-$1000.

So, hormonal alternatives seem like a reasonable choice to many women. And they are. Side effects are often minimal , and many women are completely happy on the birth control pill.

One way to give yourself the best chance of this happening is to go on a low dose birth control option.

There are more than 60 varieties of the birth control pill available today, and every one of them is different. The dosages for the least impactful birth control pills are classified as: ultra-low dose and low dose.

• May cause water retention

Cervical Cap With Spermicide

Spermicides containing N9 can irritate the vagina and rectum. It may increase the risk of getting HIV from an infected partner.

What is it?

• A soft latex or silicone cup with a round rim, which fits snugly around the cervix.

How do I use it?

• You need to put spermicide inside the cap before you use it.
• You must put the cap in the vagina before you have sex.
• You must leave the cap in place for at least 6 hours after having sex.
• You may leave the cap in for up to 48 hours.
• You do NOT need to use more spermicide each time you have sex.

How do I get it?

• First, a healthcare provider needs to determine the correct cervical cap size for you. Then you need a prescription for the device.

Chance of getting pregnant with typical use

• Out of 100 women who use this method, about 17 to 23 may get pregnant.
• It may not work as well for women who have given birth. Childbirth stretches the vagina and cervix and the cap may not fit as well.

Some Side Effects and Risks

• Irritation
• Aabnormal Pap test

Some Less Common Risks

• If you keep it in place longer than 48 hours, there is a risk of toxic shock syndrome. Toxic shock syndrome is a rare but serious infection.

Does it protect me from sexually transmitted infections ? No.

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What Are The Cons

• The diaphragm doesnât protect against STDs.
• You have to remember to reapply spermicide every time you have sex.
• It can be tough and messy to put one in.
• You can use it during your period, but it may put you at higher risk for an infection if it isn’t removed soon after sex.
• You might knock it out of place during sex.
• You have to see a doctor to get one.

Should I Use A Fertility Awareness Method

If any of the following applies to you, you are not a good candidate for FAMs:

• You have recently started having periods

• You are close to menopause

• You have just gone off hormonal birth control

• You have recently been pregnant

• You arenât willing to track fertility indicators daily

You may want to consider other forms of birth control, as these life events can make it harder to read fertility signs .

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Other Barrier Methods: Cervical Cap And Sponge

So far, in this article, we’ve talked about 2 barrier methods: the diaphragm and the condom. But there are two additional barrier methods that some women use:

• The cervical cap with spermicide. About 17-23 out of 100 women who use the cervical cap may get pregnant.

• The contraceptive sponge with spermicide. About 12 out of 100 women who use the contraceptive sponge may get pregnant. About 24 out of 100 women who’ve given birth may get pregnant using the sponge.

The cervical cap is a soft rubber or silicone cup made to fit over the cervix . You’d use spermicide on the outer rim of the cap and inside the cap itself. To get it, you’d have to see your health care provider so they can figure out the right size for you. Then they can prescribe it.

The contraceptive sponge goes into the vagina to cover the cervix and block sperm from coming in. It’s also used with spermicide. The nice thing about it is you don’t need a prescription for it.

How Does The Birth Control Sponge Work

The sponge protects against pregnancy in three ways:

• The spermicide kills sperm cells for 24 hours. You can have sex during that time without needing more spermicide.
• Itâs designed to trap and absorb semen before the sperm have a chance to enter your cervix, which connects the vagina to the uterus.
• It acts as a physical barrier between the sperm and the cervix.

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What About Natural Contraception Methods And How Safe Are They

Quite a few natural fertility awareness methods exist, and their effectiveness depends largely on how diligent you are with tracking your cycle.

• Symptothermal method: Track cervical secretions and basal body temperature to determine on which days of the month intercourse should be avoided. First year pregnancy rate of 1.8% with proper use.

• Standard days method: Do not have sex from Day 8 to Day 19 of your cycle. This study of 500 women showed that the pregnancy rate was < 5 per 100 with correct use.

• Cervical mucus/ovulation method: Evaluate cervical mucus several times daily to figure out when youre fertile. With correct use, 3% of women typically become pregnant. Note that this method has a pretty high failure rate with typical use.

• TwoDay method: Avoid sex when any cervical mucus is present. When used correctly, this method has a 3.5% pregnancy rate.

Of course, the greatest risk with any of these methods is pregnancy. They all require different time commitments, but one thing FAMs have in common is that they require you to be in tune with your body, rather than taking a backseat to your fertility. With that being said, FAMs work wonderfully when used correctly. The low pregnancy rates associated with each one is testament to that.

If you’re considering FAM, I encourage you to meet with a FAM educator.