Low Or No Hormone Birth Control

How Does Birth Control Affect Perimenopause Symptoms

Hormonal birth control can help prevent pregnancy and eliminate period symptoms. Similarly, using birth control during perimenopause can help alleviate unpleasant symptoms and even decrease the likelihood of negative health conditions. For instance, the process of menopause may lead to osteoporosis and other bone-related issues, and implementing birth control can help reduce this risk. Additionally, because birth control regulates hormone levels, it can further minimize some of the effects associated with perimenopause such as hot flashes, acne, and vaginal dryness.

It is important to note, however, that hormonal contraceptives can mask perimenopause symptoms. Furthermore, those who take birth control may not recognize when they have reached the perimenopause stage. For this reason, it is crucial to communicate with a doctor in order to better understand what is going on in your body.

Who Is Phexxi Best For

Phexxi is great for those who are looking for contraceptive alternatives, dont 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 arent 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 cant 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 Womens Group of Northwestern, in Chicago, tells Health. At worst, its 86% effective, but it could be much better if women are watching their cycle, she says.

Theres 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.

Types Of Birth Control Without Estrogen

Not only are our birth control needs individual, but they also change throughout our fertile lifetimes. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of seven birth control options without the hormone estrogen. Whether you cant or dont want to use estrogen, or are looking to go entirely hormone-free, read on to discover our list of 7 types of birth control without estrogen

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Find The Best Birth Control For You

Thanks for checking out our list of types of birth control without estrogen! Weve only touched on some of the methods available and how they work, so if youre serious about switching birth control, its always worth discussing your options in full with your doctor. In the meantime, why not find out if Natural Cycles could be an option for you?

What Are Oral Contraceptives

Oral contraceptives are hormone-containing medications that are taken by mouth to prevent pregnancy. They prevent pregnancy by inhibiting ovulation and also by preventing sperm from penetrating through the cervix.

By far the most commonly prescribed type of oral contraceptive in the United States contains synthetic versions of the natural female hormones estrogen and progesterone. This type of birth control pill is often called a combined oral contraceptive. Another type of oral contraceptive, sometimes called the mini pill, contains only progestin, which is a man-made version of progesterone.

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What Are The Most Effective Forms Of Birth Control

The most effective form of birth control is to not have sexual intercourse . Even for the most motivated couples, this can be difficult to maintain. So, its important to have a backup form of birth control in mind.

Birth control only works when you use it correctly and consistently. Forms of birth control that are more convenient and dont require much maintenance are usually most effective. These forms include the birth control implant, intrauterine devices and sterilization.

Methods of birth control like fertility awareness or pulling out are least effective at preventing pregnancy.

Doubling-up on birth control is typically best like using a condom and a birth control pill. Thats because youre protecting against STIs, using a barrier method, and taking hormonal medication all at the same time.

Why Consider A Birth Control Option Without Estrogen

There are several reasons why you might want to consider a birth control option that doesnt contain synthetic estrogen. For some its a medical decision, as birth control containing estrogen isnt recommended for women who are:

• Over 35 and smoke
• Affected by medical conditions such as problems with circulation
• Prone to migraine with aura

For others, the decision to choose birth control without estrogen might be because of unwanted hormonal birth control side effects, or may be a lifestyle change motivated by the desire to go completely hormone-free.

Whatever the reason, if youre considering switching birth control methods, its worth having a frank discussion with your doctor about your contraceptive options to find the best method for you. In the meantime, check out some of the options you might want to consider:

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Natural Alternatives To Birth Control Pills

So whats a girl to do? After all, we grew up accustomed to the pill being The Solution to our sexual freedom and family planning.

To good news is: Hormone-free birth control methods do exist. They use these to determine their fertile windows during their menstrual cycle and then use condoms for contraception during those days.

If you want to learn more about this, it is well worth reading a book like Taking Charge of Your Fertility.

Once you are familiar with the menstrual cycle and signs of fertility, you can consider different methods of fertility tracking, which include:

How Well Does It Work

Over the course of 1 year, about 9 out of 100 typical couples who rely on the Pill to prevent pregnancy will have an accidental pregnancy. Of course, this is an average figure and the chance of getting pregnant depends on whether you take your birth control pills every day. The Pill is an effective form of birth control, but even missing 1 day increases the chance of getting pregnant.

In general, how well each type of birth control method works depends on a lot of things. These include whether a person has any health conditions or is taking any medicines or herbal supplements that might interfere with its use . Talk to your doctor to check if anything you take could affect how the Pill works for you.

How well a particular method of birth control works also depends on whether the method chosen is convenient and whether the person remembers to use it correctly all the time.

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Benefits Of Nonhormonal Birth Control

Whether youre on the pill, have a patch, or use a ring, hormonal birth control can be a total drag. It can cause annoying-AF side effects like bleeding between periods, boob pain, headaches, mood changes, and nausea.

Theres also a small chance that it could increase your risk of heart attacks, blood clots, or strokes.

You may want to opt for a nonhormonal method if you:

• have trouble remembering to take a pill every day
• dont want to change your bodys natural cycle
• experience bad side effects from hormonal birth control
• have certain health conditions like severe hypertension, heart disease, vascular disease, certain liver diseases, or migraine with aura

• Effectiveness: 99%

A copper IUD is a T-shaped piece of plastic thats wrapped in copper. A doctor inserts the device into your uterus through your cervix. Its more than 99 percent effective and gets to work right away. The copper is toxic to sperm, so it helps prevent fertilization. It can also prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterine wall.

A copper IUD is a great choice if you want long-term protection it can last up to 10 years! It can also be used as emergency contraception for up to 5 days after you have sex without a condom or other barrier.

One downside is that insertion can be uncomfortable. Discomfort can range from a slight sting to WHY IS THERE A WASP IN MY VAGINA? But the entire procedure usually takes just 5 to 15 minutes.

• Effectiveness: 8598%

• Effectiveness: 7286%

• Effectiveness: 7688%

What Is The Minipill

The minipill is a type of oral contraceptive that contains pills that only have progestin.

None of the pills in the pack have any estrogen. The dose of progestin varies and is dependent on the formulation used in the birth control pill.

A minipill package consists of 28 pills, all of which contain the hormone progestin. It doesnt contain any placebo pills.

To maximize the minipills effectiveness, youll need to take the pill at the same time every day.

If you miss a dose even by as little as 3 hours youll need to use a backup method of birth control for at least 2 days to be on the safe side.

Theres a new FDA-approved progestin-only pill called Slynd. It can be taken within a 24-hour period and still not be considered a missed dose, unlike the current progestin-only pill.

Because this pill is so new, there may currently be limited information and access. To learn more about Slynd, talk to your doctor.

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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 Is Birth Control

Birth control is how you prevent pregnancy. There are many different types of birth control. Birth control only works when you use it correctly. Take the time to understand how each type of birth control works and how you use it.

If you’re sexually active and don’t want a baby, use birth control. A pregnancy can happen any time you have unprotected sex.

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Types Of Birth Control

Since the age of ancient Egypt, humans have been aware of the harmful effects of overpopulation and depleting resources. Ancient Egyptians have the earliest records of instructions on how to make a contraceptive pessary.

Other early forms of contraceptives are coitus interruptus and ingestion of herbs that are believed to be an abortifacient.

For many Indian families that cannot afford three square meals a day, birth control is essential to provide the next generation a better future.

Todays working woman has a lot more choice when it comes to birth control methods. Indian women today can freely choose any method they prefer to use.

Some of the commonly known artificial types of birth control are the barrier method , hormonal, intrauterine method and Ormeloxifene .

These birth control methods involve either the intake of hormones that hinder the sperm from reaching the egg, using a physical barrier to prevent the transfer of sperms, or operating on the reproductive organs to block the path of the sperms.

Natural birth control is also available to people who do not believe that science should interfere in the natural ways of man.

Some types of birth control include behavioural methods, fertility awareness, coitus interruptus, avoiding vaginal intercourse and abstinence during fertile weeks.

There is also emergency contraception and permanent methods of birth control .

How Can I Choose The Best Birth Control Method

There is no fixed best birth control or contraceptive method. Your doctor or nurse can help you choose the method that works best for you depending upon

• Your overall health.
• Your desire to get pregnant in the near or distant future.
• The effectiveness or success rate of the birth control method.
• How sexually active you are.
• Risks of any side effects.
• Your ease of using the method.
• The number of sex partners you may have.
• Any underlying health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and sexually transmitted infections .

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Reasons To Stay Clear Of Low

Alas, there are downsides to low-dose birth control, too. The biggest one is that you must take it every day for it to effectively prevent pregnancy. Theres no wiggle room on this one.

Other downsides include:

• Some people have side effects like decreased libido, headaches, bloating, nausea, or breast tenderness. The good news is these may lessen over time.
• All birth control pills come with a risk of heart attack, blood clots, or strokes. People who smoke or have certain medical conditions are more likely to have these side effects.
• The minipill can cause spotting .

Additionally, certain medications decrease the effectiveness and make you vulnerable to an unwanted pregnancy. These include:

If you take any of these above medications, your healthcare provider might suggest another way for you to prevent pregnancy.

You can take your low-dose birth control in different dosages. There are two types of dosing: conventional and continuous/extended cycle.

Can I Take The Pill While Breastfeeding

The combination birth control pill contains estrogen, which can decrease milk production. If you are breastfeeding, your healthcare provider may recommend taking the progestin-only pill instead. However, some women may use estrogen-containing pills once milk supply is fully established, and a womans risk of blood clots is minimized.

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Does The Arm Implant Hurt

Likewise, the arm implant is a quick and easy procedure. Your medical provider will apply a local anesthetic to numb your arm and use a special device to slide the implant under your skin. We slip it through a little hole on the inside part of the arm and it rests under the skin, Dr. Stanwood says. Its kind of like getting blood drawn or getting an IV put in. Getting it removed is similarly very quick. Plus, its very discreet. A woman can feel it if she pushes on it, but its not sticking out.

How Effective Is The Birth Control Pill

The birth control pill is a popular and highly effective method of birth control if taken correctly. The pill has a less than a 1 percent failure rate â meaning less than 1 out of 100 women unintentionally become pregnantâ when the pill is used correctly. However, for women who miss taking their pills, the failure rate goes up to roughly 8%, or 8 out of 100 women become pregnant unintentionally.

Roughly 85% of women who do not use birth control and are trying to get pregnant will conceive within one year. If you do not want to become pregnant, and if you are not likely to remember to take a pill each day, you probably should consider a longer-acting form of birth control, such as the injection, patch, implant, vaginal ring or IUD.

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In A Nutshell: The Top Non

Well go into this more in detail later, but heres a quick list of the top 4 non-hormonal contraceptive methods, when ranked by effectiveness rate for the typical user in the first year :

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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What Birth Control Is Best For Teenagers

IUDs and contraceptive implants can be used by all women of childbearing age, including teens. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that IUDs and the arm implant should be the first-line choice for young women who are sexually active.

If a parent of a teen is wondering what might be safe for his or her daughter to consider, the arm implant and the IUD can serve teens the best, Dr. Stanwood says. Thats because you set it and forget it. They are busy. This allows them to focus on academics.

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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.