Methods+of+Birth+Control

Tejonne Vinson **Methods of Birth Control**


 * Birth Control History**

Birth control, which is also known as contraception is a way of preventing unwanted pregnancies. The term birth control was popularized by Margaret Sanger who was a birth control activist who gained a lot of flack for promoting the idea of birth control in the 1930’s (Yarber, 2010).


 * Birth Control Purposes**

Birth control may work in a number of different ways such as preventing the sperm from getting to the egg, keeping the woman’s ovaries from releasing eggs that could be fertilized or sterilization, which permanently keeps a woman from being able to get pregnant or keeps a man from being able to get a woman pregnant (National Library of Medicine, 2011). Depending on how permanent or what method you want to use will determine which birth control option is best for you. There are also other factors that should go into consideration such as your health, frequency of sexual activity, number of sexual partners and desire to have children in the future.


 * Methods of Birth Control**

There are many different birth control options that work in different ways. They are Abstinence, Barrier Methods, Hormonal Methods, Implantable Devices, Sterilization and Emergency Contraception. Abstinence is the absence of genital contact that could lead to pregnancy (Yarber, 2010). This includes sexual, anal, or oral contact and this is the only method that can guarantee the prevention of transmitting STI’s or HIV. Emergency Contraception, also known as “The Morning After Pill” is a pill that can be used up to 72 hours after having unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy. This pill can be obtained over the counter for women 18 and over and a prescription for those who are younger. Costs for the EC pill range from $30-$50 (Planned Parenthood, 2011). Barrier Methods put up a block or barrier to keep sperm from joining the egg. These methods include the contraceptive sponge, Diaphragm, Cervical Cap, Cervical Shield, and the male and female Condoms.

The female and male Condoms; the female condom is worn by the woman and placed inside her vagina to keep sperm from reaching her eggs; it is made of a thin manmade rubber and is included with lubricant. It should not be worn if the male has on a condom. The male condom is a thin sheath worn over the penis to prevent sperm from entering the vagina; it is often made of latex, polyurethane or natural lambskin. The natural kind does not work against STD’s and most condoms come already lubricated. You need to use a new condom with each sex act (Women’s Health, 2009).

The most effective methods of birth control are Implantable devices and Hormonal Methods (Planned Parenthood, 2011). The Implantable methods include the IUD, Implant (Implanon), Vasectomy or female Sterilization. The Hormonal methods include The Pill, Patch, NuvaRing and the Depo Shot.


 * Implantable Devices**

The IUD, Intrauterine Device, is a small “T” shaped device inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. It must be inserted by a health care provider, costs between $500-$1000 and lasts up to 12 years. There are two types of IUD’s; The Paraguard, which contains copper and is effective for 12 years and the Mirena, which release small amounts of the hormone progestin, is effective for 5 years. IUD’s work by keeping a woman’s ovaries from releasing eggs or thickening the cervical mucus to block sperm from joining with an egg.

Another Implantable device is the Birth Control Implant, Implanon, which is a matchstick sized rod that is placed into the arm to prevent pregnancy. It also must be inserted by a health care provider, costs between $400-$800 and lasts up to 3 years. Like the Mirena IUD, the Implanon releases progestin, a hormone that keeps the ovaries from releasing eggs and thickens the mucus of the cervix to block sperm from joining an egg. It also thins the lining of the uterus to keep a potentially fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus and can be removed by your doctor at any time (Planned Parenthood, 2011).

Implantable devices are beneficial because they are not permanent and they are not something that has to be taken everyday. Once they are inserted properly you don’t have to worry about them anymore and when you decide to have children they can be easily removed. Less than 1/100 women get pregnant from these methods. All of these methods are safe methods but do carry risks that you should discuss with your doctor.


 * Sterilization**

Sterilization for women, also called Tubal Sterilization, is a safe and highly effective permanent surgery that prevents pregnancy and costs between $1500-$6000. All Sterilization procedures are meant to be **permanent.** During this procedure, a health care provider closes or blocks a woman’s fallopian tubes, which can be done in several ways. One way is by cutting and tying the tubes, which is called Tubal Ligation. The Fallopian tubes can also be sealed using an instrument with an electrical current; they also can be closed with clips, clamps, or rings. In some procedures a small piece of the tube is removed. Sometimes, tiny inserts are put into the tubes and tissue grows around them and blocks the tubes. Brand names for these procedures are Adiana and Essure. The procedure prevents pregnancy by blocking the tubes that the eggs would go through to be fertilized by sperm and cause pregnancy. There are risks with these procedures and they should be heavily discussed with your doctor because sterilization is a permanent procedure.

Sterilization for men, which is called a Vasectomy is a safe and effective procedure that costs between $350-$1000 and is also meant to be **permanent.** During a Vasectomy, the doctor closes or blocks the tubes that carry sperm and when these tubes are closed sperm cannot leave the mans body to cause pregnancy. Sperm is made in the testicles and they pass through two tubes called the Vasa Differentia to other glands and mix with seminal fluids to produce semen. A Vasectomy blocks each Vas Deferens and keeps sperm out of the seminal fluid. The sperm is then absorbed into the body. A man is still capable of ejaculation with this procedure but because the semen does not contain sperm, which causes pregnancy, a pregnancy will not occur. There are risks that should be discussed with your doctor but for the most part Vasectomy’s are almost 100 percent effective (Planned Parenthood, 2011).


 * Hormonal Methods**

The Pill, an oral contraceptive, is the most popular form of reversible contraception in the U.S. The pill is a series of pills containing synthetic estrogen and/or progesterone that regulates egg production and the menstrual cycle. The Pill thickens the cervical mucus preventing sperm penetration, thins the lining of the uterus to keep fertilized egg from attaching and disrupts the transport of fertilized eggs. Oral contraceptives must be prescribed by a physician and there are more than 70 combinations available containing various amounts of hormones. The most commonly prescribed are the combination pills, which contain a standard amount of estrogen and progestin. The pills cost between $15-$50 each and are about 99 percent effective if taken as directed. The pill is not effective if it is not taken consistently, which could lead to unwanted pregnancy. There are risks that should be discussed with your doctor (Yarber, 2010).

Injectable Contraceptives also known as the Depo-Provera shot (Depo shot) provides pregnancy protection for 12 weeks. The shot is given four times a year under the skin and is a progestin only method. This method is considered to have the fewest serious side effects and complications. Menstruation usually stops completely after a year of use. Possible risks should be discussed with your doctor. This method is 99.7% effective and costs between $30-$75 per injection (Yarber, 2010).

The Patch, which was approved by the FDA in 2002, also called Ortho Evra, is a reversible method of birth control that releases synthetic estrogen and progestin to protect against pregnancy for 1 month. Consisting of three layers, the 4.5 centimeter patch may be applied to the lower abdomen, buttocks, upper arm or upper torso. After 7 days the patch is removed and a new one is applied to a different site on the body. Three consecutive 7-day patches are usually followed by a patch free week so menstruation can occur. The patch is 92% effective and is most effective when changed on the same day of each week. The patch has been under scrutiny by the FDA for its increased levels of estrogen, which could cause blood clots. The patch also has the ability to fall off and has to be replaced by a new one within 24 hours to remain effective. The patch costs between $15-$50 for a one month supply (Yarber, 2010).

The Vaginal ring, NuvaRing, is a flexible ring about 2 inches in diameter that you insert into your vagina once a month. It is removed after three weeks then a 7-day menstruation period occurs and a new ring is inserted after that 7-day period. NuvaRing contains two types of hormones, Progestin and Estrogen, which prevent ovaries from making mature eggs. These hormones are released over the 21-day period that the ring is inserted. The NuvaRing is 99% effective and usually costs between $15-$70 a month. There are some risks that can be discussed with your doctor. NuvaRing is more convenient for those who don’t want to worry about remembering to take a pill everyday (NuvaRing website).

All these methods are suitable methods of birth control, although the implantation and Hormonal methods prove to be most effective and popular, they all have their risks and none are 100 percent effective except abstinence. The use of these methods should be carefully thought out and went over with your health care provider especially because some are permanent or have increased health risks than others.

**Birth Control and Communication ** Birth control is related to communication via how it is represented in the various media outlets such as advertising. Many shows that have a high sexual content do not really talk about or enforce the idea of contraception. Pregnancy is at an all time high for Americans. This is happening due to a lack of communication about contraceptives. In the few commercials that we do see for birth control they really don’t talk about the actual birth control effects of the product, but all its other uses. The Yaz commercial talks about how it helps acne, PMDS, depression and all these other ailments but barely touches on the fact that it is an actual birth control pill. It is always put out there as a casual conversation among friends. Yaz actually got in trouble in 2009 by the FDA for false advertisement. They were claiming that their product helped relieve symptoms of PMS but that was false, it helped relieved symptoms of PMDS, which is a very different condition than PMS (FDA, 2009). Birth control commercials are just not about the actual birth control anymore. During the Valtrex commercial, which is a medicine for Herpes, they barely mentioned how to prevent getting or spreading herpes by condom use. All they talked about was how “easy” it was to live with and how you can still maintain your sex life. This touches on the use of sex appeals in advertising and how they always want to use sex to attract people’s attention forgetting that it is detracting people from the main message the commercial should be portraying. The only commercial that is straightforward in giving out direct information about the use and risks is the Plan B commercial. It is the only commercial that I watched that clearly explained what it was meant to be used for, how soon it should be taken to be effective and the risks associated with it. This was a clear commercial straight to the point and straight with the facts without having to seem fun or sexual. These are they type of commercials that birth control companies should be advertising, commercials that actually talk about the products “main” purpose instead of all these other convenient uses.


 * References**

FDA. (2009). Warning Letter. Retrieved from [] __ormation/EnforcementActivitiesbyFDA/WarningLettersandNoticeofViolat__ __ionLetterstoPharmaceuticalCompanies/ucm053993.pdf__

Image 1. (n.d). Birth Control Methods. Retrieved from []

Image 2. (2009). It’s time to stop direct to consumer drug advertising. Retrieved from [] __warnings/__

Medline Plus. (2011). Birth Control. Retrieved from []

NuvaRing. (n.d). NuvaRing. Retrieved from []

Planned Parenthood. (2011). Birth Control. Retrieved from __[]__ WomensHealth.gov. (2009, March 6). Birth control methods. Retrieved from []

Yarber, William, Sayad, Barbara, Strong, Bryan. (2010). Contraception, birth control and abortion. Human sexuality; Diversity in contemporary America (7th ed.) (pp. 332-337). New york, NY: McGraw- Hill.