Bonus! Contraception Song!

Contraception Song

Interesting Facts found from Journal Articles..

After reading multiple journal articles concerning contraception, I've come up with quite a few interesting facts...

• An accurate understanding of pregnancy risk results in the highest rate of effectiveness (Steiner, 2006).
• The most common reason that women discontinue birth control use is because of adverse side effects (Brunner Huber, 2006).
• After discontinuing one form of contraception, it is common for women to either cease contraceptive use all together, or switch to a less effective method of birth control. This change results in higher pregnancy rates. (Brunner Huber, 2006).
• Students involved in a study concerning their knowledge and expectations for long-term contraceptives were shown to have “faulty understanding” of the effectiveness of different contraceptives (Shaklee, 2006).
• Some forms of birth control are more expensive, but last for a longer period of time than other, cheaper options. The three least expensive options for birth control were an intrauterine device, vasectomy, and intrauterine system, in that order (Trussell, 2009).
• The U.S.’s “Healthy People 2010” initiative specifies that injectable and oral contraceptives remain the most effective reversible methods (Kost et. Al, 2008).

References

Brunner Huber, L. R., Hogue, C. J., Stein, A. D., Drews, C., Zieman, M., et al. (2006). Contraceptive use and discontinuation: Findings from the contraceptive history, initiation, and choice study. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 194(5), 1290-1295.

Kost, K., Singh, S., Vaughan, B., Trussell, J., & Bankole, A. (2008). Estimates of contraceptive failure from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Contraception, 77(1), 10-21.

Shaklee, H. & Fischhoff, B. (2006). The Psychology of Contraceptive Surprises: Cumulative Risk and Contraceptive Effectiveness. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 20(5), 385-403.

Steiner, M. J., Trussell, J., Mehta, N., Condon, S., Subramaniam, S., et al. (2006). Communicating contraceptive effectiveness: A randomized controlled trial to inform a World Health Organization family planning handbook. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 195(1), 85-96.

Trussell, J., Lalla, A. M., Doan, Q. V., Reyes, E., Pinto, L., et al. (2009). Cost effectiveness of contraceptives in the United States. Contraception, 79(1), 5-14.

Wondering what other young adults are using?

Contraception Interview

"The Pill" and other Hormonal Contraceptives

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great weekend and a fun Father's Day! Talking with your sexual partner about contraception is very important if you don't plan on becoming a father or a parent! We've discussed different barrier methods, now we'll discuss hormonal methods of contraception. There is of course, "the pill" which is taken every day, but there are other options, which you may not know as much about. In addition to the pill, there is the patch, the ring, an injection, or an implant.

Hormonal Methods
• Birth control pills (Oral contraceptive pills - BCP's/OCP's) Options include: -- 20–35-mcg combined pills -- Regular or extended-cycle use pills -- Pills with shortened pill-free interval option -- Progestin-only ‘mini-pills'	95–99%	No	Pros: High rate of efficacy Relatively convenient Multiple options available Regulates menstrual cycle Decreased risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer, endometriosis, PID Cons: Undesirable risk and side effect profile in some women Not affordable for all women Drug interactions
• Vaginal ring (NuvaRing)	~99%	No	Pros/Cons: Same as w/BCP's, above Other advantages: Privacy Use allows for more normal vaginal moisture and flora, reducing yeast infections for some women Protection from pregnancy one month at a time Other disadvantages: Contraindicated with certain pelvic conditions,e.g., prolapse, endometriosis, susceptibility to irritation, etc.
• Transdermal birth control patch (Ortho Evra)	~99% (less reliable for women >198 lb)	No	Pros/Cons: Similar to those of BCP's, as above, except exposure to synthetic estrogen is ~60% higher, with resultant higher risk profile for thromboembolic events
• Depo-Provera injection	99.7%	No	Pros/Cons: Same as w/BCP's, above Other advantages: Effective 24 hr following injection Other disadvantages: Side effects can be significant and long-lasting, including reduction in bone density, depression, and weight gain
• Contraceptive implants	99%		Pros: Longevity: Different systems last from 3-5 yr Fertility returns relatively quickly Cons: Can be difficult to remove Potential for scarring Side effects can in some cases be significant and long-lasting

As you may notice from this chart from womentowomen, none of the hormonal options prevent STIs. This may encourage you to use a hormonal method in addition to another method, if you are not one hundred percent certain that your partner is clean from all STI's.

Also, hormonal methods can only be used by women. This decreases the ability of the male partner to contribute to contraception, especially if this is the only method used.

As far as hormonal methods go, I read an article that focuses on the skin patch, vaginal ring, or oral contraceptives. The article concluded that patch users were the most likely of the three to discontinue use (Lopez, 2010). Furthermore, The most consistent method of the three was the patch (for those who did not discontinue use). It seems that the most adverse effects came from using the patch, while the least amount of adverse effects resulted in use of the vaginal ring (Lopez, 2010).

A huge "pro" that you probably noticed is the effectiveness rate! Almost EVERY hormonal method of birth control has an extremely high rate of effectiveness.

Keep all of these factors in mind (and talk to your doctor!) to decide if (and which) hormonal methods of birth control are right for you and your partner.

Does it matter which contraceptive I use?

Choosing your contraception is SO IMPORTANT. Normally, both men and women start to learn about different contraception options in their late teens and early 20's. Choosing a birth control with a high rate of effectiveness can lesson you chances of getting STI or getting pregnant! Recently, I read an article in which the author stated that the the most important reported finding is that an accurate understanding of pregnancy risk results in the highest rate of effectiveness (Steiner, 2006).

“The Psychology of Contraceptive Surprises: Cumulative Risk and Contraceptive Effectiveness” is another very interesting article which focuses on hypothetical expectations for long-term contraceptives (such a birth control pills or and IUD). The students involved in the study were shown to have “faulty understanding” of the effectiveness of different contraceptives (Shaklee, 2006). If we focus on increasing the knowledge of students and young adults with regard to their choice of contraception, the effectiveness of contraceptives can increase immensely!

Sometimes, contraceptives fail. More often than not, this is because they were used incorrectly. More often than not, contraceptives have a very high success rate! For example, the U.S. began a “Healthy People 2010” initiative. Through the study, it was found that there was little change from 1995 to 2002 (Kost et. Al, 2008). However, the study also specifies that injectable and oral contraceptives remain the most effective reversible methods of birth control (Kost et. Al, 2008)!

Barrier Methods: Alternatives to Condoms Exist?

Good morning fellow sexual health information seekers!

There are many different categories of contraception methods (as I'm sure you know!).

These include:

• Barrier methods
• Hormonal Methods
• Intra-uterine Devices
• Sterilization
• Spermicidal Methods
• Fertility Awareness Methods

Every post will focus on a different method of contraception and explain the options, followed by the reliability of the method, whether or not the method is able to protect against STI's and a list of pros and cons of each method.

Method	Reliability	Protection against HIV/STI's?	Pros & Cons
Barrier Methods
• Male condom	87–98%	Yes, except for STI's contracted from genital areas not covered*	Pros: Convenience and availability Multiple options Inexpensive Allows greater male partner participation Cons: Reduced spontaneity Reduced sensation Some users experience allergies
• Female condom	79–95%	Yes; only abstinence provides better protection*	Pros: Can be placed up to 8 hr in advance Good protection against STI’s Does not require fitting by health care practitioner Cons: Only 1 style currently available More costly than male condoms
• Female cervical cap	Varies: 68–91%	No	Pros: Can be inserted up to 6 hr in advance Very few side effects Several designs on market Cons: Relatively low efficacy,* especially in women who have given birth Some types require fitting by health care practitioner; limited to 4 sizes Not widely available Some users experience allergies

So, according to this chart from womentowomen , there are three available barrier methods. Two of the three protect against STI's. It seems to me from the chart, that the male or female condoms show less cons than the cervical cap.

Thanks for checking out "Clues on Contraception!"