For some women and partners, birth control is more than just trying to prevent pregnancy. It could also be about not spreading sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or diseases (STDs). For some women birth control helps to ease severe menstrual cramps.
A common birth control method is hormonal. Hormonal methods use hormones to prevent pregnancy. Hormonal method options include the pill, patch, shot, ring and implant rod.
The Pill
The pill prevents pregnancy by preventing ovulation and thickening the cervical mucus. Most pills are made of the two hormones, estrogen and progestin, and need to be obtained through a doctor. It needs to be taken every day at the same time. Missing just one pill/one day can allow a woman to be impregnated.
Many women who have taken the pill have suffered side effects such as nausea, bloating, headaches, acne, breast tenderness and depression. There are benefits also with taking the pill. It may help with severe PMS symptoms and it may shorten the number of days of the menstrual cycle. There are many different types of birth control pills so a woman may have to experiment to find her perfect fit.
The Patch
The birth control patch, named Ortho Evra, is a patch that sticks to the skin and releases the same hormones as the pill and works to prevent pregnancy the same way.
Women who use the patch may have more regular, lighter and shorter periods but it also has disadvantages. These include bleeding between periods and nausea. A serious side effect, studies have shown and indicated at Planned Parenthood, is that women who use the patch have a higher risk of blood clots versus women who take the pill.
The Shot
The birth control shot, named Depo-Provera, uses only the progestin hormone and is shot into the arm or buttock. It works the same way to prevent pregnancy as the pill.
The shot is only needed four times a year, every three months, and is a very private birth control method. There is no evidence on the body or in a woman’s purse or dresser.
The menstrual cycle can differ greatly from woman to woman once on the shot. Some women will have lighter and fewer periods and may stop having periods all together. Other women may experience longer and heavier periods with spotting between periods.
Side effects can include changes in appetite, weight and sex drive as well as hair loss or gain and depression. On average it takes nine to 12 months to get pregnant after receiving the last shot.
The Ring
The NuvaRing works the same way and uses the same hormones as the pill. It is a small ring a woman puts in her vagina once a month for three weeks. It is taken out during the fourth week.
It has the same disadvantages as the other hormonal methods. A woman’s ability to get pregnant should return soon after her last cycle.
If a woman regularly has a yeast infection and uses oil-based medications to treat it, hormone levels will increase but will not reduce the ring’s effectiveness.
Implant Rod
The implant rod is a matchstick-sized plastic rod inserted into the arm. It can last up to three years but can cost 400 to 800 dollars.
It releases progestin to prevent ovulation and thicken cervical mucus.
In the first six to 12 months, a woman’s period may be irregular and some women do not have a period after a year’s use. Common side effects include nausea, change in appetite, and sex drive. More serious side effects include cysts on the ovaries and discoloration, scarring or pain at the insertion site.
Effectiveness
The effectiveness of each birth control method is different. The failure rate is the number of pregnancies expected per 100 women using the method correctly. The following failure rates come from the United States Department of Health and Human Services updated in March 2009.
- Pill: 5
- Patch: 5
- Shot: Less than 1
- Ring: 5
- Implant Rod: Less than 1
Since these methods use hormones to prevent pregnancy, there can be some short-term health effects including bone loss, inability to get pregnant and increased risk of breast cancer. Always talk to a health care practitioner about the risk of birth control and read the inserts given with the birth control method.
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