What Non Hormonal Contraception Should I Use

About Iuds And Fibroids

An IUD is a tiny, T-shaped device that is placed into your uterus to prevent pregnancy. IUDs are one of the most effective, easiest to use birth control options available.

There are two main types of IUDs: hormonal and non-hormonal. Hormonal IUDs release progestin , which thins the uterine lining, thickens cervical mucus, and partially suppresses ovulation. Non-hormonal IUDs instead release copper into the uterus, causing an inflammatory reaction that creates a toxic environment for sperm.

You may be wondering, Can I get an IUD if I have fibroids? For many, the answer is yes. However, there are some cases when uterine fibroids distort the shape of the inner uterus. If this occurs, an alternate birth control method is more appropriate.

The Diaphragm Or Cervical Cap

Similar to menstrual cups, diaphragms and cervical caps are shallow cups made from soft silicone or latex that you put inside your vagina along with spermicide to cover your cervix and keep sperm away from an egg, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists . Theyre about 71 to 88% effective, so around 12 to 29 out of 100 women who use one will become pregnant each year.

Benefits:

• Theyre affordable, small, and easy to keep on-hand.
• They wont kill the mood since you can put them in before sex.
• Theyre reusable and could last up to a year or so with good care and cleaning, according to Planned Parenthood.

Things to consider:

• For them to work, you must add spermicide.
• They may move out of place during heavy thrusting.
• They dont protect against STIs.
• Youll need a prescription before you can purchase one.
• While rare, toxic shock syndrome is a possible complication, so do not leave it in for over 24 hours or during your period, and call a doctor if you notice a sudden high fever, sunburn-like rash, diarrhea or vomiting, a sore throat or muscles and joints, or dizziness and weakness, notes ACOG.

Pro tips:

• Meet with a healthcare provider for a proper fit , advises Planned Parenthood.
• Keep it in place for six hours after sex to ensure the spermicide has time to do its job. If you have sex again, simply apply more spermicide according to label instructions without removing the diaphragm and wait another six hours before removal, per ACOG.

How Effective Are Internal Condoms At Preventing Pregnancy

The internal condom is typically less effective than the external condom.

With perfect use, 5 out of every 100 women will become pregnant in a year. With typical use, 21 out of 100 will get pregnant .

People may enjoy sex more with an internal condom because they feel…

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Which Of The Contraceptive Methods Is Right For Me

Feeling a bit overwhelmed? I get itthis is a lot of information to take in. But its so important that women know what all their choices are before making a decision on what contraceptive method to choose.

Use this information to have an educated discussion with your licensed health care provider about which method is best for you.

After all, depending on our health, lifestyle, personality, and preferences, what works well for one woman may not work for another.

What About Permanent Non

So far, we’ve talked about reversible methods that you can use to prevent pregnancy. But what if you’re done with having kids or choose not to have them? Then, a permanent form of birth control might be something to consider.

Here are the different options for permanent birth control:

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How Effective Are The Different Methods

The list below shows how effective each of the 15 different methods are, and how often you need to use them or think about them .

The effectiveness of each method is worked out by calculating how many women get pregnant if 100 women use the method for a year.

For example, if a particular contraceptive method is 99% effective, 1 woman out of every 100 who uses it will get pregnant in a year.

Some methods listed below, such as the pill, include the phrase “if used correctly”.

This is because people who use these methods have to use them every time they have sex, or remember to take or apply them every day, week or month.

If the method is not used correctly, it will not be as effective.

Contraceptives that are more than 99% effective:

• contraceptive implant

• vaginal ring

Contraceptives that are 99% effective if used according to teaching instructions:

• symptothermal method of natural family planning

Contraceptives that are 98% effective if used correctly:

• male condom

Contraceptives that are 95% effective if used correctly:

• female condom

Contraceptives that are 92 to 96% effective if used correctly:

• diaphragm or cap with spermicide

Different Types Of Non

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

Researchers measure how well a birth control method works in two ways:…

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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Reason : Depression And Mental Health

I explore this further in this article but the basics are:

• Hormonal contraceptives can cause mental health issues
• Women who suffer from mental health issues are much more likely to suffer from increased symptoms when on hormonal contraception
• Often the longer hormonal contraception is used, the greater the symptoms
• Discontinuation of hormonal contraception can usually alleviate mental health symptoms

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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How To Use The Birth Control Sponge

You can insert the sponge up to 24 hours before you have sex. To do so:

The sponge must stay in place for at least 6 hours after you have sex. But donât leave it in for more than 30 hours total.

To take it out, gently pull on the strap. It may help to bear down with your vaginal muscles. If theyâre too tight to remove it, wait a few minutes and try again.

Check the sponge to make sure that it isnât torn and that there arenât any pieces still in your vagina. Then throw it away in the trash.

How Does Natural Family Planning Work

There are three main signs of fertility: temperature, amount and consistency of the cervical mucous, and the shape and position of the cervix. A woman using Natural Family Planning will observe and chart one or more of these three signs every day, depending on the exact method used.

By observing these signs every day, a woman can read her bodys own, natural internal cues to determine which part of her cycle she is in and whether or not she is fertile. She can then use this information to either avoid or achieve pregnancy.

**For in-depth information on Natural Family Planning and reading your cycle, Taking Charge of Your Fertility is excellent. A must-read!

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Are There Any Permanent Non

The only permanent form of non-hormonal birth control is sterilisation. This has a number of disadvantages though:

• They can still fail they arent 100% reliable

• They involve surgery there are risks to the procedures for men and women

• If pregnancy does occur, the risk of ectopic pregnancy is increased pregnancy can sometimes occur outside of the womb as a result of these procedures

• They are not easily reversed they can sometimes be reversed but its not a sure thing. If you want biological children in the future this might not be worth the risk

There are some contraceptives that you can keep using without stopping:

• The withdrawal method there is no reason to stop using this, except that it isnt reliable

• The rhythm method you can keep using this as long as your periods stay regular

• Abstinence or different forms of sex these methods can be used consistently but they arent reliable or practical for everyone

There are also non-hormonal contraceptives that last a long time :

• The coil this can last 5-10 years

• The cup this can last up to 1 year

• The diaphragm this can last up to 1 year

How Do You Use It

You insert the gel into the vagina using a prefilled applicator similar to the size and shape of a tampon. The gel works immediately or lasts for up to an hour, although you must use a separate dose each time you have penis-in-vagina intercourse. So, if you have sex this way twice within an hour, you would use two separate prefilled applicators.

The gel adheres to the vaginal walls and the cervix so that it remains in place.

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Number : Phexxi Vaginal Gel

Phexxi is a “first-of-its-kind” non-hormonal vaginal gel approved by the FDA in August of 2020. Long story short, it’s a much-improved version of something a lot older: a spermicide. You would need a doctor’s prescription for Phexxi.

Effectiveness: In the phase 3 trial of Phexxi, it was shown to be 86.3% effective.

What is it: Phexxi is a vaginal gel containing lactic acid , citric acid , and potassium bitartrate . Phexxi comes as a gel in a pre-filled applicator that’s applied into the vagina right before sex.

How it works: Basically, Phexxi works by temporarily lowering the pH of the vagina, making it an inhospitable environment for sperm. It’s cool because it essentially is capitalizing on one of the vagina’s natural defenses: its acidic pH, which helps to stop incoming sperm in their tracks and make them stop swimming.

Pros:

• Phexxi is a hormone-free method that is woman-controlled

• Unlike traditional spermicides like nonoxynol-9, Phexxi should be less harsh and gentler on the vagina

• Easy to combine with other methods like the diaphragm and condom for even greater protection

Cons:

• Phexxi may cause side effects for some women, including burning, pain, itching, or overall discomfort in or around the vagina

• Phexxi is not available over-the-counter you’d need a doctor’s prescription to get it.

• Phexxi can be expensive if you have to pay out of pocket. Drugs.com reports that the cost of 12 applicators without insurance is around $288.

Choosing Your Birth Control Method

Selecting which type of birth control to use can be very confusing. From birth control pills to birth control implants, there are many options to choose from. It helps to start by answering a few basic questions. Consider the following:

• How important is it for you to be protected from STDs? Not all birth control methods protect against STDs.
• How effective do you want your birth control? Some birth control methods are more effective than others.
• Are convenience and cost important in your decision? Do you want birth control that lasts a while? How much can you afford to spend on birth control?
• Does sexual pleasure affect your decision in selecting a birth control method? Do you want a birth control that enhances your sex life?

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Non Hormonal Methods Of Contraception

New Delhi, Oct 15, 2021- Family planning is an important aspect of everyones life. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the most effective and convenient contraceptive. Hormonal contraceptives protect 98 per cent of unwanted pregnancies, and they are convenient to use. But they influence a womans hormone levels. They may also give rise to side effects such as headaches, nausea, sore breasts and vaginal yeast infections, mood swings, and reduced womens sexual desire.

Furthermore, it can cause breakthrough bleeding between periods. They also dont offer any protection against sexually transmitted diseases. There could be a risk of thrombosis, which means the risk of blood clots formation. The risk of developing the same is higher in women who smoke, are overweight, who have a risk of vascular diseases or women above the age of 40. Furthermore, they are not recommended for women who have clotting tendencies, heart diseases, and cancers.

Condoms are the most widely used non-hormonal contraception method. Both males and females can use condoms as they come for both genders.

The advantages of using the condom are:

* It protects against unplanned pregnancy

* It protects both males and females from sexually transmitted diseases

* There are limited or no serious side effects

* Female condoms can be used for anal sex as well

* The external ring is designed in a way to enhance the pleasure

* Even if the partner loses their erection the condom stays in place

Donts

How Do You Use A Diaphragm

You need to use a diaphragm along with a cream or gel that kills sperm, called a spermicide.

First squeeze about a tablespoon of spermicide inside the cup of the diaphragm and spread more around the rim. To put it in:

• Get in a comfortable position with your legs open and knees bent.
• Fold the diaphragm in half, with your index finger inside to help guide it.
• With your other hand, open your labia, then push the diaphragm as far up and back inside your vagina as it will go.
• The diaphragm should cover the narrow opening to your uterus, called the cervix, and the front edge should tuck behind your pubic bone.

You can put it in up to 6 hours before you have sex, and you need to leave it in for at least 6 hours after.

Once itâs in place, you can have sex more than once, but you need to reapply spermicide before each time. Do that with your fingers or an applicator, making sure to get it deep inside your vagina. Most spermicides only work if you use them less than an hour before you have sex. So if you put the diaphragm in hours ahead of time, remember to add more.

You can leave the diaphragm in for up to 24 hours. To remove it:

• Hook your finger over the rim and pull it down and out. If you have trouble, ask your doctor about a special tool that can help.
• Clean the diaphragm with soap and water, let it air dry, and store it in its case. Avoid oil-based lubricants, which can damage silicone. Check it every so often for holes or cracks.

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What Are The Advantages

• Doesnt get in the way of sex
• You can choose to have lighter, less crampy periods or no period at all
• As soon as you stop taking the pill, you can get pregnant
• It reduces your risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer by 50%
• Some pills can help with pimples/acne.

The research does NOT show a link between the pill and weight gain, headaches, breast tenderness, nausea or change in sex drive.