Birth Control: So Many Options, So Much Information, So Little Time To Decide. What You Need To Know.
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), that is available in 32 states, including here in Massachusetts, insurance plans must provide at least one method of the 18 FDA-approved birth control methods, to which many people might say, it’s about time!
But out of these 18 methods, which one should you choose? Didn’t there used to be two options: condoms and the pill, with the biggest dilemma being choosing what condom to buy, or what birth control pill to swallow?
Different women have different bodies, and why shouldn’t their birth control methods reflect that? The problem isn’t the 18 methods of birth control available, but the fact that the information about the methods isn’t readily available. A prime example of this is the Birth Control Sponge (Today Sponge); who has heard of, let alone used, this birth control method. The “today sponge” is one of the options listed that the ACA will pay for.
1) Your Birth Control Should Be As Unique As You
Everyone is different, from the outside to the inside. So why should everyone’s birth control be the same? Providing 18 different methods of birth control gives women the opportunity to decide what works best for them. Some women feel more comfortable taking a pill, while others have found their best option is to have an IUD inserted.
Some examples of the 18 methods available are: the female condom, the diaphragm, birth control patch, cervical cap, vaginal ring, birth control shot, spermicide, and the ever-risky withdrawal method. Lifestyle, number of sexual partners, and sexual history are just a few of the factors considered when choosing a birth control method.
2) There Are Different Categories For Methods Of Birth Control
The different categories of birth control methods are barrier, hormonal, implantable, permanent, and emergency. Before deciding the best method is for you, consider what kind of lifestyle you lead and how your sex life fits into it. Each category has benefits as well as risks and side effects, which are important to take into consideration.
3) Continuous Abstinence
Abstinence, while first on the birth control method list, is normally not the preferred option. On numerous women’s health sites, the full title of this birth control method is “continuous abstinence” because the decision being made is to abstain from sex completely, into the foreseeable future. To abstain from sex is a very important choice that is hard, or nearly impossible, to commit to and definitely not a decision that many people enter into lightly.
4) Barrier Methods
The barrier methods of birth control, while containing some of the lesser known forms, are self-explanatory due to their name. The numerous products used in this category put up a block, or barrier, to keep the sperm from reaching the egg. Some of these include:
- The Contraceptive Sponge: a disk-shaped device with a loop for taking it out, that you wet and then insert before sex. It’s effective for more than an act of intercourse and lasts for up to 24 hours.
- The Diaphragm, Cervical Cap, and Cervical Shield: shallow latex cup that fits against the cervix.
- The Female Condom: condom worn by woman inside the vagina to keep sperm from getting into her body.
5) Hormonal Methods
The hormonal methods of birth control can be the most effective, but also the scariest, making a consult with your doctor necessary. These particular methods interfere with ovulation and fertilization by using the hormones estrogen and progestin, which stop the ovaries from releasing an egg and changing the lining of the uterus and cervical mucus in order to keep the sperm from joining the egg.
There are numerous types of oral contraceptives, both combination pills and progestin-only pills, with hormone levels that affect everyone in different ways. Doctors can help with the process of narrowing down which pill is the best fit. There are many factors to consider: if you have a history of migraines, if you’re older than 35 and smoke, if you have a history of blood clots, if you have a history of breast or liver cancer, and many more.
6) Permanent Birth Control
There are many birth control methods advertised in mainstream media. We see commercials for birth control pills, the NuvaRing, Mirena and other IUDs, that have happy people smiling with upbeat music playing in the background while someone lists off side effects quickly, but have you seen a similar advertisement for the permanent birth control method?
This method, though irreversible and for people who are sure they never want to have children, is one of the 18 approved methods by the ACA. It is the surgical procedure of sterilization by the procedure of having the fallopian tubes tied, or the implant option where a think tube is inserted through vagina and into the fallopian tube causing scar tissue to form and block off the entry way of sperm. This method of birth control is not one to be entered into lightly, and cannot be reversed.
