Petrified of Pregnancy? A Birth Control Roundup
Dear SHCs,
I have been having vaginal intercourse with my male partner for the last 5 months. I am very nervous about getting pregnant, and wanted to know more about the different methods of birth control. Can you tell me which method you think would be best for me?
Petrified of Pregnancy
Dear Petrified of Pregnancy,
Thanks for asking! I should start off by saying that I (and the SHCs) cannot tell you which method of birth control would be right for you in particular. You should consult your doctor or gynecologist to see which method of birth control they would think would work best for you and your body. However, I’m happy to give you more information on the many different birth control methods out there.
Abstinence is of course the safest method, but only if you want to use it, and it sounds like you’ve made a decision not to, so we’ll discuss the other methods. Using a male condom is a good choice. Not only are you protecting yourself against pregnancy, but STIs as well! See our previous column in the Daily Gazette for more information about condom use and preventing breakage.
As last week’s column noted, there is also the reality, or female, condom. This, like the male condom, protects against STIs in addition to pregnancy. If you were intending on using the reality/female condom for vaginal intercourse, you would insert the condom into your vagina before intercourse, using the flexible ring to guide your placement. It is also safe for those who have a latex allergy. In addition, the reality/female condom and male condom are good choices if you prefer to not use hormonal methods of birth control.
Speaking of which, there are a variety of hormonal methods of birth control from which you can select. The birth control pill may be the best-known, and Worth can provide you with the pill for $11 per pack. Birth control pills are most effective when you take them at the same time everyday, so I would suggest either setting an alarm or linking it with some other part of your daily routine (like brushing your teeth). While taking the pill, some women experience breast tenderness, as well as nausea and vomiting. If you are intending on taking progestin-only pills (most pills are a combination of progestin and estrogen), you may also have some spotting between periods. If the side effects are too much for you, you and your doctor can try different brands of pills until you find one that works.
You can also decide to use the NuvaRing. It is a tiny plastic ring that rests comfortably in the vagina. It will remain in place during vaginal intercourse (many men and women say that they cannot feel it at all), but it can also be removed for up to 3 hours at a time without decreasing its effectiveness. The ring remains inside the vagina for three weeks, and is then taken out for a week, during which time you will have your period. The NuvaRing has similar side effects to the birth control pill.
Some women choose to use the birth control shot. The shot is effective for three months, so you should plan on going to your doctor to have the shot every 12 weeks. Like the NuvaRing, this method does not require you to remember to take your birth control at the same time every day. The length of your period can fluctuate if you take the shot, and some uncommon side effects include weight gain/appetite change, hair loss/body hair growth, changes in sex drive, and tender breasts.
There are also semi-permanent methods of birth control. First, there is Implanon™. It is a small plastic rod that you can have inserted into your arm. It continuously releases hormones, preventing pregnancy for up to three years. After the three years, Implanon™ can be removed, and another can be inserted. Like the birth control shots, Implanon™ can modify your period, and like the pill, cause some spotting between periods. More infrequent side effects include hair loss, depression, acne, and appetite changes.
You can also choose to have an IUD inserted into your uterus, hence the name, intrauterine device. IUDs are relatively rare in the United States, but over 150 million women world-wide use them, including nearly half of married women in China. There are two main kinds of IUDs, hormonal and non-hormonal. Nonhormonal kinds of IUDs are made out of copper, which acts as a natural spermicide. IUDs can cause spotting between periods, and nonhormonal IUDs can cause a heavy menstrual flow. There are also the rare but potentially serious complications of infections and IUD slippage.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me or any of the other SHCs! Also, if you are interested in learning more about this and related sexual health topics, come to our Parlor Party tonight, February 12th. We will have food, condoms, and lube!
Signed,
Amelia Kidd and the SHCs
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#1: 2/12/2009 at 5:57 a.m.
Do they give the birth control shots in Worth? How expensive are they?
— Liz | Unregistered, Swarthmore
#2: 2/12/2009 at 10:20 a.m.
Once, my girlfriend and I tried the pill. It messed with her emotions to just a drastic point that she was sobbing and we were getting into frequent and intense arguments. We had to stop it. Is this a necesssary condition of hormonal birth control?
— Person | Unregistered, Swarthmore
#3: 2/12/2009 at 10:34 a.m.
No, changes in how you feel or behave (depression, anger, etc) are definitely not always the case with hormonal birth control! But the thing about hormonal birth control is that it does affect your body, and sometimes in that way. Everyone's different - some people get awful mood swings and some people don't. Often, as the article says, trying a different brand or a different type of BC can be a remedy for that, but not always. Also, sometimes it's a temporary symptom that goes away after a few cycles, but if something's messing with your life that badly, it's a good idea to try another kind. :]
— D | Unregistered, Swarthmore
#4: 2/12/2009 at 1:25 p.m.
Liz,
I don't think Worth offers the shot. However, planned parenthood and other women's health centers will have it. I am unsure of the cost, but you might consider Planned Parenthood since they have a sliding scale cost for all their services. As a student, you should be able to get a good deal. Call ahead for an estimate.
— Kate G, SHC | Unregistered, Swarthmore
#5: 2/12/2009 at 3:52 p.m.
The graphic that goes with this column looks suspiciously like Kurt Vonnegut's depiction of an anus.
— Argos | Unregistered, Swarthmore
#6: 2/13/2009 at 8:03 a.m.
Please remember that as much as birth control pills and shots may "mess with...emotions" or cause bloating in some women, pregnancy does this to a much greater extent. Then you have a baby (or abortion) so it is worth trying different types of birth control until one is found that works and has the fewest side-effects. Condoms are great in terms of helping (not absolute protection, especially for warts and herpes) in preventing STDs, and are about 85-95 percent effective in pregnancy prevention, but should be used should along with another type of birth control to have the most effectiveness against pregnancy. If you skip pills, remember that you need an additional type of birth control that month, because pill-skipping leads to decreased effectiveness. I have read that one should not use male and female condoms at the same time, but am not sure why.
In your teens and early twenties, fertility rates are incredibly high, so it is very important to get protected, unless you want to graduate Swarthmore with a baby. Since I think this seems to be a very rare occurrence there, there must be a lot of awareness of birth control methods. I hope STDs are as well protected against.
By the way, this is a good article to have in the Gazette.
— parent2 | Unregistered, Non-Swarthmore
#7: 2/13/2009 at 12:31 p.m.
Hi parent2,
The reason you want to avoid using two condoms, male or female, at the same time, is the friction created between them. This friction can cause tears in the condoms. More than one condom is never a good idea.
— Kate G, SHC | Unregistered, Non-Swarthmore
#8: 2/13/2009 at 1:50 p.m.
I generally wear 2 condoms. Since one is only effective 85-95 percent of the time, two makes it effective like 98% of the time. That's just math, can't argue with that. Also, if you use colored ones then you get a cool mix of coloration.
— trojanman | Unregistered, Swarthmore
#9: 2/13/2009 at 1:53 p.m.
To the SHC's:
I was surprised by the lack of mention of a diaphragm.
Thanks.
— Mike '11 | Unregistered, Swarthmore
#10: 2/13/2009 at 8:36 p.m.
Mike '11:
Diaphragms are not readily recommended anymore. IUDs, depoprovera, Implant, and BCP (birth control pills) have perfect use protection close to 99% (even higher when paired with a condom), while diaphragms have around 70-80% effectiveness. Bad news. Plus, they are hard to fit and insert perfectly, so they are not exactly user friendly.
— Rebecca | Unregistered, Non-Swarthmore
#11: 2/14/2009 at 3:40 p.m.
Using two condoms cannot be explained by math, as the math relates only to using one at a time.
Condoms, especially male condoms, are designed to grip and glide, and combining multiple condoms can negate both effects.
Adding a second condom, whether one now has MM or MF, disturbs the adhesion of the condom to the penis as the material will stick and breakage will occur.
Using two male condoms also will cause sliding of the outer male condom, thus just complicating penetration without providing any extra protection.
Finally, combining MF can cause the two to stick together and pull out the female condom, which obviously ends its efficacy and can allow fluids to mix.
HOWEVER, you should always use a condom UNLESS you have both been tested since your last partner AND are sure of each others faithfulness. Many STIs--especially viruses or viral-like bacteria, like chlamydia--replicate and are most infectious in their undetectable stage, so don't take any chances.
— Suzanne '10 | Unregistered, Swarthmore
#12: 2/15/2009 at 12:37 p.m.
"Using two condoms cannot be explained by math"
Is this a challenge?
— Swattie Expat | Registered, Swarthmore
#13: 2/17/2009 at 1:39 a.m.
lol@expat
— Peter '11 | Registered, Swarthmore
#14: 3/1/2009 at 9:11 p.m.
Suzanne:
Your post made me reconsider whether or not math can be applied in this case. So I spoke to my math professor. He told me that math can certainly be applied to condom use. He actually wrote a computer program for it.
— trojanman | Unregistered, Swarthmore
#15: 3/3/2009 at 12:39 p.m.
Dear trojanman,
I'm pretty sure you were joking the first time, but just in case you weren't: yes, of course statistics could theoretically be used to explain effectiveness of using two condoms (e.g. used to estimate breakage rate due to estimated amounts of friction given certain amounts of lubrication, etc.). However, in each case you're using math to try to explain what could be due to human error. The bottom line is that in each case you'd be estimating how much worse using two condoms is than using one. What's the point?
— Kate G, SHC | Unregistered, Swarthmore