Does The Shot Protect Against Stds
No. The shot is really good at preventing pregnancy, but it wont protect you from sexually transmitted infections.
Luckily, using condoms every time you have sex really lowers the chance of getting or spreading STDs. The other great thing about condoms is that they also protect against pregnancy, which means that using condoms along with the shot gives you awesome pregnancy-preventing power!
What Are The Disadvantages Of Phexxi
If you dont think you can use Phexxi every single time you have sex, there are plenty of other types of birth control out there that are easier to use and offer better protection against pregnancy . Take this quiz to find a method thats right for you.
Some people may get side effects when they use Phexxi. The most common Phexxi side effects are:
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Vaginal discharge
Dont use Phexxi if youve had a lot of UTIs, or have other urinary tract problems.
If you or your partner have signs of an allergic reaction like flushing, irritation, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, or loss of consciousness stop using Phexxi and call your doctor right away.
Phexxi doesnt protect against STDs. But using condoms with Phexxi helps protect you from STDs, and gives you extra protection from pregnancy, too. If youre going to have sex, using condoms every time and getting tested regularly for STDs is the best way to help keep yourself healthy.
Is It Safe To Take The Pill While Breastfeeding
Combination pills may reduce the amount and quality of your breast milk in the first 3 weeks of breastfeeding. If youre nursing, wait at least 3 weeks after giving birth to start using combination pills. Your breast milk will contain traces of the pill’s hormones, but its not likely that these hormones will have any effect on your baby. Talk with your nurse or doctor if you have any concerns about breastfeeding while using the pill.
Progestin-only pills are fine to use while you’re breastfeeding. In fact, using the mini pill and breastfeeding shouldnt have any effect on how much milk you produce, and won’t affect your baby.
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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 .
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?
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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.
Evofem Terms Of Service For Phexxicom
The website Phexxi.com is provided by Evofem Biosciences, Inc. to provide information and selected functionality to interested parties and provides important information related to the unmet needs that women face today with the lack of non-hormonal contraceptive options and a product that is in development to meet those needs. Healthcare professionals can provide their contact information to engage in communications with Evofem.
PLEASE READ THESE TERMS OF SERVICE AND OUR PRIVACY POLICY CAREFULLY BECAUSE THIS AGREEMENT CONSTITUTES A LEGALLY BINDING CONTRACT BETWEEN YOU AND EVOFEM. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT, PLEASE DO NOT ACCESS OR USE THE SITE. BY ACCESSING, DOWNLOADING, USING, THE SITE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THIS AGREEMENT, YOU ARE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD, YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS AGREEMENT AND YOU ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT.
NOTE: THESE TERMS CONTAIN A DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND ARBITRATION PROVISION, INCLUDING CLASS ACTION WAIVER THAT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THESE TERMS AND WITH RESPECT TO DISPUTES YOU MAY HAVE WITH THE COMPANY. YOU MAY OPT OUT OF THE BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER AS PROVIDED BELOW.
1 MODIFICATION OF THIS AGREEMENT.
2 OWNERSHIP PROPRIETARY RIGHTS.
3 GUIDELINES USAGE RULES PROHIBITED CONDUCT AND USES.
3.1. YOU UNDERSTAND AND HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT YOU WILL NOT ENGAGE IN THE PROHIBITED CONDUCT AND USES LISTED BELOW . YOU WILL NOT:
3.1.2. use the Site if you are under the age of eighteen years old
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How Does The Implant Work
The birth control implant is a tiny, thin rod about the size of a matchstick. Its also called Nexplanon and theres a slightly older version called Implanon. A doctor inserts the implant under the skin of your upper arm. It releases the hormone progestin to stop you from getting pregnant.
The hormones in the birth control implant prevent pregnancy in two ways:
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Progestin thickens the mucus on your cervix, which stops sperm from swimming through to your egg. When sperm cant meet up with an egg, pregnancy cant happen.
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Progestin can also stop eggs from leaving your ovaries , so theres no egg to fertilize. When eggs arent released, you cant get pregnant.
One of the awesome things about the implant is that it lasts for a long time up to 5 years but its not permanent. If you decide you want to get pregnant or you just dont want to have your implant anymore, your doctor can take it out. Youre able to get pregnant quickly after the implant is removed. You can keep track of your insertion and removal dates using our birth control app.
The Pill Is An Effective Way To Prevent Pregnancy
If you follow the instructions and use the birth control pill correctly, it gives you great protection against pregnancy.
All you have to do is stick to your daily pill schedule, and make sure you start your new packs on time thats it. But if you miss or forget pills, it wont work as well. You can use our birth control reminder app to keep you on track.
You can use condoms along with your birth control pills to get extra protection from pregnancy. Bonus: condoms also help protect against STDs.
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How Long Does Birth Control Take To Work
Another benefit is that it can be safely used for up to 10 years and can be removed at any time. If your IUD expires, but you still dont want to get pregnant, you can have it replaced. People who want to avoid unnecessary hormones can benefit from a copper IUD because there are no added hormones .
While effective at preventing pregnancy, copper IUDs are not without some side effects or downsides. Some people report increased menstrual pain and bleeding early on, but this tends to decrease over time . There is a chance that the IUD can come out shortly after being placed, but your provider can place a new one for you. Lastly, IUDs do not protect against STIs like HIV, herpes, chlamydia, etc.
Although not technically a hormone-free form of birth control, its worth mentioning hormonal IUDs. They contain a form of progesterone that is only released into the uterine tissue . The hormones cause changes in the uterus lining that prevent implantation and thicken the cervical mucus. These factors create a barrier to fertilization .
Hormonal IUDs only last 36 years, depending on the dose, and are slightly more effective at preventing pregnancies than copper IUDs. However, you may experience hormonal side effects like headaches, breast tenderness, and mood changes .
Who May Want To Use Phexxi
One advantage of Phexxi is that it increases the number of birth control options available, says Dr. G. Thomas Ruiz, OB/GYN lead at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. But that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.
Phexxi may appeal to women who want to avoid hormonal birth control. There could be different reasons why this is important to them:
- They find that hormonal birth control has unpleasant side effects for them, such as mood changes, unpredictable bleeding and lower libido, says Dr. Chidera Ejiogu, an OB/GYN with UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann Hospital.
- They can’t use hormonal birth control because of another health condition, such as high blood pressure or blood clots, says Dr. Rachel Jensen, a resident with the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Division of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences in Baltimore. Hormonal birth control can raise the risk for higher blood pressure or blood clots. One in 3,000 women using birth control pills will develop a blood clot annually, according to the National Blood Clot Alliance. That may be a relatively small number, but it puts women already prone to blood clots at an even higher risk.
- They are looking to take a break from hormonal birth control, such as the pill. There isn’t a medical reason to do this, but Ruiz has some patients who have expressed this preference.
- They smoke. Smoking and using hormonal birth control can raise the risk for blood clots.
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Diaphragm And Cervical Cap
Unintended pregnancy in one year of use: 17% typical use, 16% perfect use .
Diaphragms and cervical caps are barrier methods that are both placed over the cervix and used with spermicide . Cervical caps are smaller than diaphragms and fit tightly around the cervix . Diaphragms stay in place by sitting behind the pubic bone . Diaphragms and cervical caps do not protect against STIs . Both are available in the USA with a prescription.
There is also a one-size-fits-all diaphragm, Caya . A healthcare provider may have you insert Caya during the visit and then perform a pelvic exam to make sure that it was placed in the right position . Water-based spermicide should also be used with Caya .
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Iuds Are Really Convenient
Once your IUD is in, you barely have to think about it it works until it expires or you have it taken out. That means no trips to the pharmacy, no pill to take or ring to put in, and nothing you have to do before sex to prevent pregnancy. Plus youre protected against pregnancy for 3 to 12 years, depending on what kind you get.
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How Do I Make The Shot Work Best For Me
To get the shots full birth control powers, you have to remember to get a new shot every 12-13 weeks. Thats about every 3 months, or 4 times a year. Most of the time, a doctor or a nurse must give you the shot. So you have to make an appointment at a health center, and then remember to go to the appointment. But you also may be able to get a supply of shots at the health center to bring home and give yourself. You can use our birth control app to keep track of when you need to get your next shot, and any upcoming shot appointments.
You can start using the birth control shot whenever you want. If you get your first shot within the first 7 days after the start of your period, youre protected from pregnancy right away. If you get it at any other time in your cycle, you need to use another form of birth control for the first week after getting the shot.
After your first shot, its all about remembering when to get your follow-up shots. Here are some tips to make sure you stay on top of it:
- Use our birth control reminder app or set an alarm on your phone.
- Add it to whatever calendar you use on a daily basis.
- Ask friends, family members, or your partner to remind you.
Bottom line: do whatever works for you to make sure you get your follow-up shots about every 12-13 weeks.
If youre 2 or more weeks late getting your shot, your doctor or nurse may ask you to take a pregnancy test, or tell you to use emergency contraception if you had vaginal sex in the previous 120 hours .
What Are The Different Kinds Of Fams
Fertility awareness methods help you track your menstrual cycle so youll know when your ovaries release an egg every month .
The days near ovulation are your fertile days when youre most likely to get pregnant. So people use FAMs to prevent pregnancy by avoiding sex or using another birth control method on those unsafe, fertile days.
There are a few different FAMs that help you track your fertility signs. You can use 1 or more of these methods to predict when youll ovulate:
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The Temperature Method: you take your temperature in the morning every day before you get out of bed.
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The Cervical Mucus Method: you check your cervical mucus every day.
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The Calendar Method: you chart your menstrual cycle on a calendar.
Its most effective to combine all 3 of these methods. When used together, theyre called the symptothermal method.
The Standard Days Method is a variation on the calendar method. You track your menstrual cycle for several months to figure out if your cycle is always between 26 and 32 days long you cant use this method if its longer or shorter. Once youve established that your cycle is in the right range, you use another form of birth control on days 8-19, which is when youre fertile.
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Can Birth Control Help Regulate Your Period
While you might not be able to make your monthly visitor disappear forever, many forms of birth control can help regulate your period. This is great news for people living with irregular cycles and painful or heavy periods. According to the ACOG, combined hormonal methods that contain estrogen and progestin can make your period more regular, lighter, and shorter. This includes birth control pills, the patch, and the vaginal ring.
The bottom line is this: If you view your period as a monthly reassurance that youre not pregnant, then you might prefer to see it arrive on schedule. But if thats not you, asking your doctor about the types of birth control that are most likely to stop your period is something to consider.
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Discouraged By The Cost Of Birth Control We Can Help
We do our best to help you afford the birth control method you choose no matter what your situation is. Whether you have your own health insurance, are on your parents plan, or dont have insurance at all, weve got you covered. Find a health center near you.
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Many insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover Planned Parenthood services.
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Well help you navigate your states health insurance plans. Learn more
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Is health insurance not an option for you? We can get you set up with state or locally funded programs that help cover the cost of your birth control.
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Does The Pill Protect Against Stds
Nope. The pill is really good at preventing pregnancy, but it wont protect you from sexually transmitted infections.
Luckily, using condoms every time you have sex really lowers your chances of getting or spreading STDs. Condoms also protect against pregnancy so using condoms + birth control pills together gives protection from STDs AND awesome pregnancy-preventing power.