October 14, 2010

Contraceptive Alternatives – Periodic Abstinence

Filed under: birth control,pregnancy prevention — Tags: birth control methods, breast feeding, coitus inturruptus, Contraceptive Alternatives, lactational amenorrhea, Periodic Abstinence, pull-out method, withdrawal method — Candace @ 10:17 am

Birth control pills are the most popular method of contraception but with the side effects they cause on some women it may be beneficial to try different methods. Periodic abstinence is a method of pregnancy prevention that includes coitus inturruptus, lactational amenorrhea, and natural family planning. These names may sound complicated but these are probably methods you have heard of already, just under different titles.

Coitus Inturruptus – This method is often referred to as the withdrawal or pull-out method. This consists of withdrawal of the entire penis before ejaculation. This prevents fertilization by preventing contact of sperm and the ovum. Pulling-out is a very commonly used method. The effectiveness of this method depends on the man’s ability to pull out before ejaculation. It is said to be 94 percent effective if done correctly. Normally because it is difficult to perfect this method, it is only 19 percent effective. On the bright side this method is available at any time for no cost and no devices or chemicals involved. The biggest disadvantage is the high probability of pregnancy .

Lactational Amenorrhea – This method restrains ovulation because breast feeding changes the body’s physiology. No egg means no pregnancy! This method if used to perfection has 99.5 percent effectiveness in the first 6 months of use. Normally the rate of effectiveness is only 98 percent. The advantages of using this method include the disappearance of ovulation, it doesn’t interfere with intercourse, there are no side effects, it is free, and it gives infants immunity! Along with this method there are various disadvantages. You must breastfeed the baby 6-10 times a day which can be untimely. You should not use this method if the mother has been diagnosed with HIV.

Natural Family Planning – This is one of the most widely used methods of fertility regulation, especially for people whose religious and cultural beliefs prevent them from using drugs or devices for contraception. This method includes periodic abstinence in which couples abstain from sex in the woman’s fertile period. Using one of 3 methods the fertile period is determined (the 3 methods are the calendar method, cervical mucus method, and spermatozoa). This method is approximately 75 percent effective. The best thing about this method is that there are no side effects because there are no hormones. This method is the only usable method for those with strict cultural and religious policies. Natural family planning doesn’t have any lasting effects on the woman’s fertility.

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October 4, 2010

Sex-Ed in Schools Fails to Address All Birth Control Options

Filed under: birth control pills,birth control statistics,birth control types,pregnancy in adolescents,pregnancy prevention,sex ed,sex education — Tags: birth control, sex ed, sexual education, stds, STI's, young adults — Amanda @ 12:02 pm

The lessons taught during sexual education in school are a very important part of a teen’s development as a young adult. However, a new government report has reported that only two thirds of all teens have been taught about birth control methods and options. Many students are not engaging enough in learning about pregnancy prevention and safe sex. Recent data shows that after many years of constant decline, the teen birth rate rose between 2005 and 2007, and decreased again in 2008 to 10 percent of all births.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention had female interviewers from the University of Michigan conducting interviews with nearly 2,800 teenagers between 2006 and 2008. It was found that 97% of teens had received formal sex education by the age of 18. This included instruction from school, church, community centers, or other settings. The content of the instruction included how to say no to sex, information on sexually transmitted infections, and information on birth control. Lessons concerning STIs were more common than lessons on how to use a condom or other types of birth control. In total, two thirds of teens had reported being taugh about birth control by the end of high school – about 62% of boys and 70% of girls. On the other hand, 92% of boys and girls had reported being taugh about STIs, and almost as many had learned about preventing being infected with AIDS. In addition, 87% of females and 81% of males were taught how to say no to sex.

Other researchers have found that there has been a decline in comprehensive sexual education from 1995 – 2002. This decline was largely due to government policies stressing an abstinence-only policy in educational systems. Most education programs talked about the threat of STIs, but not how to use various birth control methods. On the contrary, in the last two years, more funding has been put into sex education programs that discuss birth control options. An earlier CDC report released earlier this year found.

Another CDC study, released earlier this year, found that teenage use of birth control and teen attitudes toward pregnancy have remained about the same since 2002.

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August 3, 2010

Hormonal Contraceptives are Less Effective in Overweight/Obese Women

Filed under: birth control options,birth control patch,birth control pills,birth control types,pregnancy prevention — Tags: Birth Control Pill, BMI, contraceptive, hormones, obesity, pregnancy, vaginal ring — Amanda @ 4:20 pm

A systematic review of results reported online has concluded that hormonal contraceptives (such as skin patches, vaginal rings, implants, pills, and injections) may not be as effective in overweight and obese women.

With obesity rates increasing worldwide every year, it is important that these findings be shared with the public.

The results from seven studies on 39,531 women on the success of hormonal contraceptives were examined and the results were varied among the different methods of birth control. Some methods such as the birth control pill and the patch were less effective at preventing pregnancy in the obese and overweight women who used a hormonal contraceptive.

Body mass index, or BMI, played a large role in the effectiveness of the birth control pill. Women with a BMI higher than 25 (classified as overweight), were more likely to get pregnant while using the pill than women with a BMI under 25.

Body weight, on the other hand, was the factor among women using the skin patch, vaginal ring, implant, or injection. The body weight due to fat on the body determined the pregnancy risk among women using contraception. Overweight and obese women using the skin patch, progestin implant, and vaginal ring were more likely to get pregnant than women of normal weight using these forms of contraception. Curiously enough, the effectiveness of the hormonal injection was not affected by BMI or body weight. One possible reason for the decreased effectiveness of the skin patch is simply that there is a higher density of fat cells in areas where the patch is to be placed. The fat cells in the way of the blood stream can absorb and store the hormones preventing them from reaching the blood stream.

The exact reason why overweight and obese women are at a greater risk of pregnancy while using hormonal contraceptives is unknown. Although several theories imply that it has something to do with specific biological factors.

Liver Enzymes – overweight women can experience an increased regulation of liver metabolism. These higher levels of enzymes can help break down the hormones in oral contraceptives. Heavier women have a greater circulating blood volume and body mass therefore there is more tissue for blood to circulate though. The chance that enzymes will break down the hormones in contraception is faster therefore the levels of circulating hormones can be decreased.

Hormone Storage – Hormones like estrogen and progestin that are found in birth control are stored in body fat. The more fat cells on a woman, the greater her chances of the hormones becoming stored in her fat rather than flowing into her bloodstream.

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July 2, 2010

New Emergency Contraceptive – EllaOne

Filed under: pregnancy prevention — Tags: contraception, EllaOne, emergency contraceptive, morning after pill, plan b — Tanveen @ 12:11 pm

A new contraceptive pill has been discovered. The EllaOne offers what has never been available before. It can be used up to five days after unprotected sex and still reduce the chances of pregnancy significantly. Up until now Plan B was the most widely used emergency contraceptive in the market. However, EllaOne has made its mark and is in great demand.

The EllaOne is currently only sold in Europe. Talks about it coming to the United States are underway. The FDA has not approved an emergency contraceptive in years now and it is not yet known if they will approve EllaOne or not.

The emergency contraceptive that is commonly used in the United States is Plan B. Plan B can only be used up to three days after unprotected sex and is also not as effective as the EllaOne. In a recent study, it was found that 1.8% of women who took EllaOne became pregnant, and 2.6% of women who took Plan B resulted in pregnancy. To some people this may not look like a large difference. It is, however, important to acknowledge that a large majority of pregnancies are not intended to happen. Women who find themselves in this position, especially if for the first time, are unsure of what to do next or are even in denial. Having a morning after pill that offers up to five days allows for greater prevention of unwanted pregnancies. This in no ways means that you should wait for longer than need be. It is still best to take the necessary precautions when having sex and use birth control methods, if pregnancy is not wanted.

Furthermore, the EllaOne has proven to be a very controversial issue. Many people do not want this drug to be allowed into the United States. Pro-life groups, especially, are strongly against this pill. “It kills embryos, just like the abortion pill,” says the president of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. On the other hand, people argue that if Plan B can be sold in the US, and that too over the counter, than why can’t EllaOne? We’ll just have to wait and see what decision the FDA will make.

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June 17, 2009

Pregnancy Prevention in Adolescents

Filed under: birth control,pregnancy in adolescents,pregnancy prevention,teen pregnancy,Uncategorized,young pregancy — John @ 3:07 pm

A study was conducted with its purpose to identify new ways to increase the impact of pregnancy prevention interventions on the number of children born to adolescents. Teen pregnancies are a big issue today with 53 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in the United States, in 2002, but many wonder why. The tools to successfully prevent pregnancy are all there, but many adolescents do not utilize these tools.

The study used a racially/ethnically diverse group of 1,568, pregnant 13-18 year old. The pregnant teens were asked to explain why they had not used contraception at the time of conception. The most common category received was that they were “not ready to prevent pregnancy.” Now the bigger question arises, “why are so many teenage women not ready to prevent pregnancy?”

The answer could possibly be a lack of education into the possible consequences of having unprotected sexual intercourse. Many school systems teach the children about STI’s (STD’s) and the risk that the teen could become pregnant. Additionally, contraception methods are discussed, so sexual education is unlikely to be the reason.

The types of birth control methods may not be convenient enough. However, this seems highly unlikely. Why? A condom only takes a few seconds to take out of the packaging and to apply. However, the birth control pill, an oral contraceptive for women, is even more convenient. It only requires the woman to swallow a single pill daily, hardly a difficult task.

The study came to the conclusion that the best way to promote pregnancy prevention in adolescents is to shift the focus entirely on the teen and to help young women develop goals that would be threatened if they were to become pregnant.

“The most expedient way to strengthen the impact of pregnancy prevention programs on adolescent childbearing is to shift the focus of intervention from overcoming logistical barriers and misperceptions about the need for contraception, to helping young women develop goals that make adolescent childbearing a threat to what they want in life. This means intervening actively enough to ensure that goal setting translates into an internal desire to postpone childbearing beyond adolescence.” – Excerpt from Reasons for Ineffective Contraceptive Use Antedating Adolescent Pregnancies Part 1: An Indicator of Gaps in Family Planning Services

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