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 Did you know that half of all unintended pregnancies are as a result of contraception failing or people not using their chosen method of contraception properly? That's why, when you look at sites like Planned Parenthood, they will tell you the effectiveness of a method when it's used either correctly or typically. We bet that when you hear statistics like this, you think, "Oh, that's just dumb teenagers who put on condoms inside out. I'm definitely in the 'correctly' category." Well, think again. Let's take the Pill, for example, as it's probably the method most of you take--and it's also probably the method you think of as being least likely to "fail." When tests were done with computerized pill packs, researchers found that women missed three times as many pills as they thought. Still convinced you never miss a Pill? Why not sign up for a daily reminder with a free email reminder service like MemoToMe.com, just to be on the safe(r) side? [Note: the rest of this post is a little confusing to follow due to a few errors that were subsequently fixed. Dr. Kate will be posting next month to really clear up the various myths surrounding IUDs, so you might want to just skip the below and wait for that. In the meantime, if you're on the Pill and still playing the field, do us a favor and use a condom, too, would ya? Your genitals will thank you for it.] The professor reporting these results said that women would be much better off if they went for a more permanent, less-likely-to-fail method like implants or IUDs (Dr. Kate calls the latter "reversible sterilization.") But we know that these methods aren't right for everyone: But hopefully the numbers are enough to convince you to consider a back-up method of birth control. Hey, back-up birth control isn't just for neurotics--it's in the numbers, after all. So if you're on the Pill, think about backing it up every time with condoms (always good for limiting STD risk), the Sponge (if you can find one still...apparently the company making them went out of business again!), 10 CommentsLeave a comment |
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Great post, but one little quibble: if you're on the pill (or the patch or the NuvaRing), you aren't ovulating, so it's impossible to calculate or track more or less fertile days. Those women who do get pregnant, of course, mess up their pills so that ovulation occurs. I think it's wise to always use back-up (I always use a condom), but at the VERY least, if you don't want to get pregnant and DO end up missing a pill or two, use the back up method during the next few days. This should hopefully prevent any egg that escaped from being fertilized!
Um, yeah, what she said. We'll blame that little slip-up on jet lag, as we just got back from London this past weekend. Thanks for having our back, Karen!
Wait~ I don't think the patch should be counted as a back up to the pill! a replacement, certianly, but it's not like a diaphram, you can't just slap on when you feel like, it does the same thing as the pill and has to be just as regular. And considering it already has an arguably dangerous level of estrogen (arguable by the women who died when it first came out without it's warnings- 6x the estrogen as the pill) it is definitely not something you'd want to take WITH the pill!
=)
I've been on the pill for over four years and have (truly!) never missed a single one. I set an alarm for the same time every morning and take the pill then. If I plan to sleep-in (like on a weekend), I'll just roll over and go back to sleep after taking it. Maybe this technique could help someone else who's having trouble remembering?
You're right Lindsay. Sorry for the confusion... we were just thinking of pairing any two methods of contraception, but you don't want to pair two hormonal methods of course. What would we do without you guys?
The Sponge is off the market ... again. The manufacturer went bankrupt. The remaining few are currently selling for extortionate prices on eBay and Amazon. It's a shame, because, paired with a condom, it's a great, non-messy, non-painful, non-annoying way to avoid hormonal birth control, if that's your desire.
Okay, so count this our most error-ridden post to date! But this final error, at least, is good news: Dr. Kate just informed us that IUDs no longer put you at an increased risk of PID, and you don't need to be in a long-term and/or monogamous relationship to get one. The makers of the copper IUD have even changed the labeling to reflect this. Because it's an area rife with confusion (even we didn't know this!) Dr. Kate will be dedicating an entire post on this issue next month, so watch this space...
We also teach those who wish to use an IUD that you should not use an IUD if you have NOT had a child yet. That could have changed, however we still inform patients of this when they come in asking about the IUD, and we do not allow them to use one otherwise.
Any info on whether this has changed?
I am a reproductive health physician, and I have put in dozens of IUDs in women who have never had a child yet. There is NO reason to deny women IUDs just because they haven't had a child! I think some doctors won't do it because either they feel uncomfortable with the SLIGHT increase in difficulty in the procedure, or because they feel uncomfortable with women who claim to not want children, and only want to give them more temporary methods of birth control.
IUDs are a fabulous, long-lasting, non-hormonal form of birth control that every woman should be offered if she does not want to conceive in the next 2-3 years (they last 5-12 years depending on the type). And even if she changes her mind and does want to conceive, it can easily be removed with rapid return to fertility. Cost is the only reason we suggest it for women who want to delay conceiving for a few years. The high up-front cost is worth it if you use it for 2-3 years, not really worth it for a year or so.
I heart my copper IUD, same kind as my momma used years ago, and the $200 for 12 years of BC is amazing. Also, no ring or pill or condom wrappers (sometimes), talk about going green!