When Hormones Arent An Option
According to the Nature commentary, about one-third of women globally discontinue hormonal birth control methods within the first year of taking them, often because of side effects.
That was the case for Lenise Sunny Wilson, who attributes severe depression to the birth control pills she had been taking.
It completely changed who I was as a person, said Wilson, 38, of Tucson, Arizona. It messed with my emotions and my mental health so intensely.
Wilson has since stopped taking the pill and, for the most part, she said, has returned to her sunny self.
Some women, including those with certain cancers and heart conditions, cant take hormonal birth control. Erica Twidle, 33, from Gallatin, Tennessee, was diagnosed with a rare heart condition called peripartum cardiomyopathy while pregnant with her daughter, Della. The condition made Twidles heart weak and enlarged, and although she eventually recovered, Twidles doctors told her she shouldnt take hormonal birth control, or get pregnant, ever again. Both would jeopardize her heart.
Twidle, whod had a bad experience with the copper IUD in the past, decided to track her cycle. But nine months after having Della, she was pregnant again. I cried when I found out, she said. I was terrified. I had a child I needed to stay alive for.
Twidle calls herself one of the lucky ones, since her heart stayed strong enough to support pregnancy. But had things taken a turn, Twidle was prepared to get an abortion to stay alive.
Non Hormonal Birth Control Options
Some hormone-free birth control methods are pretty common. Just about everyone has an embarrassing story about buying condoms, for example.
Many others arent as common or arent as popular as they once were. One reason the pill is so popular is that its a lot more convenient than fumbling for condoms mid-sexual encounter . Frequently, the most effective method of birth control is the one youll use consistently and correctly.
When talking about the failure rate of birth control, health professionals may give two different figures. The first lists the failure rate of a method when it is used ideally, precisely as designed. The second gives the odds as observed in the field, where people may use a form of contraception incorrectly or inconsistently.
For men, non-hormonal methods are the only birth control methods available. Many people have tried to formulate male birth control pills without any success.
Types Of Nonhormonal Birth Control
Your chances of getting pregnant in a given year vary widely depending on the birth control method, from less than 1 in 100 for copper T IUDs to more than 1 in 4 for spermicides.
Barrier methods
- What is it? A saucer-shaped silicone cup that you put into your to block semen from entering your womb. You must be fitted for a diaphragm at first by your doctor.
- How well does it work? If you use the diaphragm correctly and add spermicide, you have a 6% chance of getting pregnant after a yearâs use. But the odds double if you donât always use it or donât use it exactly right, the way a typical person does.
- Pros and cons. You can carry your diaphragm and put it in just before you have sex. Itâs reusable for 12 months. If you decide you want to start a family, stop using it. A diaphragm wonât protect you from STDs. You have to leave it in for at least 8 hours after sex. You also may be more likely to get vaginal or urinary tract infections. Learn about the best ways to prevent a UTI.
Cervical cap
Sponge
Copper IUD
Spermicide
Vaginal gel
Male condom
Female condom
Surgical methods
Sterilization
Behavioral methods
Outercourse and the pull-out method
Natural family planning
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There Isnt A Right Age If Youre Ready Youre Ready
Theres no right age to start having sex, whether thats solo or partnered.
Some people have sex as teenagers, others wait until their twenties, and others choose to be celibate forever and theres nothing wrong with that. Its your choice!
Choosing to have sex is a personal decision, and its up to you whether you want to or not. Just remember to practice enthusiastic consent when youre with your partner and take measures to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections .
In A Nutshell: The Top Non
We’ll go into this more in detail later, but here’s a quick list of the top 4 non-hormonal contraceptive methods, when ranked by effectiveness rate for the typical user in the first year :
Copper IUD – less than 1 out of 100 will get pregnant
Diaphragm with spermicide – about 12 out of 100 women may get pregnant
Phexxi – about 14 out of 100 women may get pregnant
Male condom or female condom – For the male condom, about 18 out of 100 women whose partners use condoms may get pregnant. For the female condom, about 21 out of 100 women may get pregnant.
What is “typical use”?Researchers came up with the numbers above after following women for a year who said they were using these methods. However, the women surveyed may have said they used a condom every single time , but the reality could be different. The “typical use” numbers include women who might have forgotten a few times . When you look at perfect use of the male condom, then less than 2 women out of 100 may get pregnant in the first year.
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Who Is Phexxi Best For
“Phexxi is great for those who are looking for contraceptive alternatives, don’t desire hormones, and are possibly not sexually active consistently,” Jessica Shepherd, MD, ob-gyn, CEO and founder of Sanctum Med Wellness, tells Health. Phexxi can be a good fit for women who aren’t interested in taking a daily pill or using a long-acting form of birth control like an implant, IUD, or ring, she says.
Phexxi may also be an important choice for women who can’t use hormonal forms of birth control. “Not every woman can use a hormonal birth control-women who are at risk for blood clots, hormone-driven cancers like certain forms of breast cancer and other gynecological cancers may be advised to use a non-hormonal method,” Dr. Wider says.
For women who use lifestyle methods-like fertility awareness of the withdrawal or “pull-out” method-Phexxi may be a good addition to their routine, Julie Levitt, MD, an ob/gyn at The Women’s Group of Northwestern, in Chicago, tells Health. “At worst, it’s 86% effective, but it could be much better if women are watching their cycle,” she says.
There’s also this to consider, Dr. Wider says: “Non-hormonal methods would likely eliminate some unwanted side effects that women can experience on hormonal birth control like mood swings and weight gain.” So if a woman is especially concerned about any of those things, she and her doctor may consider Phexxi.
How To Choose The Right Option For You
The best option for you when it comes to birth control without hormones is the one you can use confidently and correctly every single time you have sex. The Office on Women’s Health says that the best type of birth control for you depends on:
-
Your health
-
Whether you want kids now, sometime in the future, or ever
-
If you need to protect against sexually transmitted infections
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Can You Make Contraception Part Of Your Daily Routine
If youre a well-organised person with a reasonably regular routine, you have a wide choice of contraception.
This is because youre less likely to forget about your contraception by forgetting to take a pill or reapply a patch, for example.
You may want to use a method that you only need to use when you have sex, such as the male or female condom, or you may prefer a method that you need to take every day, such as the pill.
Or you may want to consider methods like the patch, injection or implant, which you do not need to use every day or each time you have sex.
The list below shows how often you need to use, replace or take each contraceptive method.
Once you have looked at the list, ask your GP or a doctor or nurse at your local clinic for more details.
Methods used each time you have sex:
Methods taken on a daily basis:
- the pill , but there are some types of 21-day pill where you have a week off each month
Methods replaced every week:
How Can I Get Free Or Low
Under the Affordable Care Act , most insurance plans cover FDA-approved prescription birth control for women, such as the pill, IUDs, and female sterilization, at no additional cost to you. This also includes birth control counseling.
- If you have insurance, check with your insurance provider to find out what is included in your plan.
- If you have Medicaid, your insurance covers birth control. This includes birth control prescriptions and visits to your doctor related to birth control. Programs vary between states, so check with your state’s Medicaid program to learn what your benefits are.
- If you don’t have insurance, don’t panic. Family planning clinics may provide some birth control methods for free or at low cost. Call your local clinic or enter your ZIP code in this clinic finder tool to learn more.
For information about other services covered by the Affordable Care Act, visit HealthCare.gov.
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How Effective Is This Type Of Birth Control
FDA approval for this product is based on a multisite study that enrolled sexually active women ages 18 to 35 . Women who participated had regular menstrual cycles and a single male partner. They agreed to just use Phexxi for birth control except for morning-after, emergency birth control, if necessary and engage in heterosexual intercourse at least three times during each cycle throughout the study.
Results collected over seven cycles show that nearly 14% of 1,183 women who completed the study became pregnant.
Overall, the efficacy rate of Phexxi is 86% for typical use.
Phexxi can be combined with some other forms of birth control to increase the odds of preventing pregnancy. Compared with other nonhormonal birth control methods it seems to be more effective at preventing pregnancy than withdrawal natural family planning barrier methods such as condoms and diaphragms and most spermicides . However, as a nonhormonal option, the copper intrauterine device is far more effective.
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What Are The Health Risks For Smokers Who Use Birth Control
If you smoke and are 35 or older, you should not use hormonal birth control. Smoking tobacco and using hormonal birth control raises your risk for blood clots and high blood pressure. Smoking and high blood pressure are risk factors for a heart attack or stroke. The risk for a heart attack or stroke also goes up as you age.
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Not All Fabms Are Equally Effective
Methods like the Rhythm method or Standard Days method assume that the menstrual period always follows a certain number of days and ovulation happens on the same day of each cycle . A person trying to avoid pregnancy is instructed to avoid sex or use another birth control method on the days around their ovulation . These methods work best for people with cycles that are predictable and last 26-32 days .
Not all people with periods have 28-day cycles and ovulation may not happen on day 14 each month . Cycles vary for a number of reasons . If a method does not account for the uniqueness of a personâs cycle, predicting ovulation can be less accurate, which makes the chance of pregnancy more likely. Making a method a routine and always using it correctly may take time. Getting experience through practice or training may help .
Would You Prefer Contraception You Do Not Have To Remember Every Day
Not all contraceptives have to be taken every day or each time you have sex.
You do not have to think about some contraceptives for months or years.
These methods need to be inserted by a health professional into your uterus or arm :
The contraceptive injection can be given 1 of 2 ways: either by an intramuscular injection into the buttock, or as a subcutaneous injection into the thigh or abdomen.
This is given every 8 weeks or every 12 weeks, depending on the type.
The subcutaneous injection can be given by a health professional, or you can be shown how to inject it yourself.
Other contraceptives that need to be changed or replaced every month or week are:
Other contraceptives used or inserted just before sex are:
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What Are The Pros
- You can choose to use a diaphragm, even if your partner doesnât want to use a condom.
- If itâs in correctly, you and your partner canât feel it.
- If you want to try to get pregnant, just stop using it.
- It doesnât affect your bodyâs natural hormones.
- You can use it while youâre breastfeeding.
- Since you can put it in and apply spermicide an hour before you have sex, you donât have to interrupt the mood.
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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Why Choose Nonhormonal Birth Control
Hormonal contraceptives, like the birth control pill and hormonal implants, change a womanâs hormone levels to keep her body from getting pregnant. They can be convenient and reliable. But they might not be ideal choices for some people for reasons like:
- You have to remember to take the pill at the same time every day.
- You need to see a doctor for prescriptions or to insert the device.
- They donât protect you from sexually transmitted diseases.
- They may raise your chances for blood clots or breast cancer, or have side effects like mood swings or weight gain.
- You may not have sex often enough to need ongoing birth control.
- You may pass hormones to your baby if youâre breastfeeding.
How To Find The Best Birth Control Method For Your Lifestyle
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We have to make choices of all sorts each and every day. These decisions range from simple things, like what to have for breakfast or which running route to take, to more serious things, like the best birth control to use. In fact, it can be totally overwhelming to sort through all of the information and advice out there when it comes to birth control.
Thats where this guide comes in handy. It will set you on the right path to making a solid decision about the best birth control method for you.
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Which Types Of Birth Control Help Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections
Only two types can protect you from STIs, including HIV: male condoms and female condoms.4
While condoms are the best way to prevent STIs if you have sex, they are not the most effective type of birth control. If you have sex, the best way to prevent both STIs and pregnancy is to use what is called “dual protection.” Dual protection means you use a condom to prevent STIs each time you have sex, and at the same time, you use a more effective form of birth control, such as an IUD, implant, or shot.
What Is The Best Nonhormonal Birth Control
Theres no single best birth control nonhormonal or otherwise for everyone.
Finding the best birth control for you involves understanding the risks and benefits each type, as well as figuring out if it fits your lifestyle and personal preferences.
Looking at the effectiveness of each type of nonhormonal birth control can help you narrow down your options.
Heres a breakdown of the effectiveness rates of nonhormonal birth control, according to the , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and other sources:
- Copper IUD: more than 99 percent
- Diaphragm with spermicide: 88 percent
- Contraceptive gel: 86 percent effective with typical use, per the manufacturer
- Male condom: 82 percent
- Cervical cap with spermicide: 77 percent to 83 percent
- Sponge with spermicide: 76 percent to 88 percent
- Sponge alone: 76 percent to 88 percent
- Fertility-awareness methods : 76 percent
- Spermicide alone: 72 percent
You may be able to increase the effectiveness of some types of nonhormonal birth control by using them exactly as directed by a healthcare professional or using multiple methods at the same time.
That said, effectiveness is just one of many factors to consider when choosing a birth control. Some types, such as spermicide, can cause certain side effects that you may want to avoid.
Overall, the best nonhormonal birth control is one that not only meets your needs and preferences, but also a method you feel confident about using.
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When Hormones Aren’t An Option
According to the Nature commentary, about one-third of women globally discontinue hormonal birth control methods within the first year of taking them, often because of side effects.
That was the case for Lenise Sunny Wilson, who attributes severe depression to the birth control pills she had been taking.
It completely changed who I was as a person, said Wilson, 38, of Tucson, Arizona. It messed with my emotions and my mental health so intensely.
Wilson has since stopped taking the pill and, for the most part, she said, has returned to her sunny self.
Some women, including those with certain cancers and heart conditions, cant take hormonal birth control. Erica Twidle, 33, from Gallatin, Tennessee, was diagnosed with a rare heart condition called peripartum cardiomyopathy while pregnant with her daughter, Della. The condition made Twidles heart weak and enlarged, and although she eventually recovered, Twidles doctors told her she shouldnt take hormonal birth control, or get pregnant, ever again. Both would jeopardize her heart.
Twidle, whod had a bad experience with the copper IUD in the past, decided to track her cycle. But nine months after having Della, she was pregnant again. I cried when I found out, she said. I was terrified. I had a child I needed to stay alive for.
Twidle calls herself one of the lucky ones, since her heart stayed strong enough to support pregnancy. But had things taken a turn, Twidle was prepared to get an abortion to stay alive.