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.
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