Contraceptives

As a female in charge of your contraception career, you may be on some form of low dose birth control to prevent pregnancy but are you doing all you can to make sure you’re protected from STDs? The FC2 offer protection and may be ideal if you prefer a non hormonal form of birth control.

Do You Know Your Sex Partner’s HIV Status?　If you live in Washington State and step into a beauty salon, convenience store or you attend high school, hopefully by now you’ve had access to one of the new female condoms– to try for free. MAC AIDS Fund is a subsidiary of MAC Cosmetics and has put up $500,000 to make female condoms freely available for distribution via Planned Parenthood, the Community Education Group and the Women’s Collective. You already know that it can be risky and often intimidating to rely on a guy for condom ‘enthusiasm’. There are still guys who refuse to use condoms and even if he assures you that he’s ‘been tested’- once is not enough for either of you.

Are you in a ‘committed relationship’? This recent HIV Behavior Study 2009  reveals how this does not guarantee that you are sexually ‘safe’. Heterosexual Afro Americans in particular, are still engaging in sexual acts that place them at high risk of infection from STDs and HIV/AIDS. A study shows that even after a high school education, less than one third of guys used a condom and are not protecting themselves even though they themselves (and possibly their partners too) are having sex outside their current relationship. HIV/AIDS sadly causes the highest rate of deaths in black women and in Washington DC is now rated an epidemicAre you really doing all you can to keep yourself protected? You don’t have to put your male partner on the spot. You can take charge independently of seeing a doctor too.Talk to your friends about the new FC2 female condoms and be brave enough to be a thoroughly modern Millie..You can buy female condom FC2 at Undercover Condoms Sales - Click here to view this month’s sale items including Condoms, Lubricants, and more!!

On Dec. 11th 2008 I told you about a new female condom, the FC2 that was about to hit the market. I hope you’ll give one a go now because my next post will be telling you about alarming findings from a recent study of heterosexuals done in Washington DC. More of that later.  For today, a gentle reminder about the female condom and how to to use it.  Note that the new female condoms (FC2) are made from nitrile NOT polyurethane as mentioned in the video. In case you’re already dismissing the FC2 because it’s made from a rubber material,  it is user friendly for anyone allergic to latex AND it does not make a rustling noise that might put you off trying it.

You can buy female condom FC2 at Undercover Condoms Sales - Click here to view this month’s sale items including Condoms, Lubricants, and more!!

But first- it’s all about profits right?

It’s what women want and it’s becoming more and more what men want too- another method of male birth control and preferably one that does not involve hormones. This method must be affordable by the majority, highly effective, convenient, reversible and free from side effects.

Enormous strides have been made in medical research and more than one solution is well within our abilities right now yet it becomes a tall order when we all know that whatever gets over the finishing line first will only do so if it makes millions for the manufacturer.  Ah, there’s the rub. What profiteth a company to gain huge benefits for its consumers yet suffer great losses from its own coffers? Unless governments step in or non profit agencies come to the contraception party, future R & D for many potentially successful new male birth control methods could drop off the vine.  Let’s face it, a long acting, low cost male birth control method would reduce profits and risk the loss of profits from women’s birth control methods too.

So which non hormonal method of male birth control is the ‘favourite’ to make it over the finishing line?

Move over male hormone injection and remote controlled valve (described in previous posts) hello RISUG, which stands for “Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance”. This RISUG method of male birth control involves the injection of a polymer gel into the vas deferens (tube that carries sperm) No cutting is needed and there are no hormones in the gel. The gel coats the inner walls of the vas deferens, solidifies in minutes and kills unsuspecting passing sperm, thereby making this method of male birth control effective almost at once (unlike a vasectomy that can take up to 3 months). The gel also partially blocks the tube but if months or years later fertility needs to be restored, another injection flushes it out, making this method also easily and quickly reversible.

How long will the contraceptive effect last?

A standard dose will be effective for up to 7years. The reversal procedure can be performed at any time- even within days after the injection. Any ‘minority’ sperm that make it through the vas deferens will be too sluggish to reach and fertilise an egg!This RISUG method has been on trial in men (India) for over a decade now and while this method of male birth control looks likely to be the ‘favourite’ so far, much still remains to be done to pass all the regulations for US and European approval- and of course secure funds for further development.

How many methods of male birth control have emerged over the years?

You may be suprised to learn that there are at least 8! Vasectomy, condom, injection, remote controlled valve for vas deferens and RISUG are 5 of them but others include the IVD (shug), ultrasound and heat method (the mind boggles). Withdrawal does not count as it has a high failure rate of 27%!

FRONTIERS IN NONHORMONAL MALE CONTRACEPTION is easy to read and has further information on all 8 methods of male birth control. Enjoy!

Is it a pill, is it a plug, is it an injection?

Which new type of male contraceptive looks like becoming a ‘goer’ within a few years?   The latest trials being done in Sydney, of a testosterone and projestin injection for men, may result in more than a few female heroines expecting their male heroes to rescue them from hormonal hassle when it comes to taking responsibility for birth control.

The trials, conducted by the ANZAC Research Institute in Australia, hope to prove the twice monthly injection 95% effective as a method of male birth control- with full impregnating ability restored 3 months after stopping the injections. The funding for the trials has come from an American reproductive health and HIV prevention agency (CONRAD) that has been working on this for more than 15 years.  Once this second phase of testing is successfully completed it will further strengthen CONRAD’s ‘proof of principle study’, published in 2003, which revived interest from major multinational pharmaceutical companies in developing a reversible, effective, male hormonal contraceptive for the market.

How does it work?

I’m still trying to find out exactly what quantities of hormones make up each shot, hopefully the doses will be as low as they are in the low dose birth control pills for women. Basically though, the hormonal mix of testosterone and progestin tricks the male brain into believing that sufficient sperm has already been produced. Since sperm is the vital male ingredient needed to make babies- voila! Ovulate without fear girls or will it be asking TOO much of us to believe him when he says he’s infertile?

What about STIs?

Will it trick the STI villains from wreaking havoc on both of you? ‘Fraid not, you’ll both need to keep up the condom supply and get regular checks.

I can hear you chanting ’side effects, what about the side effects?’ - this new male method of birth control will banish yours, yeay but what about his?  It’s good news apparently. After some of us have coped with bloating, mood swings,  loss of sex drive and risk of blood clots throughout our birth control trials, it seems, according to lead researcher, Rob McLachlan, this shot of hormones into the male metabolism shouldn’t change his sex life at all because the “level of testosterone in the blood remains the same.” Not sure I fully understand that one if you ‘re adding more testosterone to what’s already there but as to other possible side effects well, we really will have to wait and see, I’ve heard that acne may be one of the nasties for some men.   True heroes won’t let a little moodiness, bloating or risk of blood clotting put them off though will they?

If you’re relishing the day when the only contraceptive side effect you’ll have to worry about is RSI from rolling on a condom, then maybe it’s not a bad thing to have a few ‘deep and meaningfuls’ about both your birth control ‘careers’? Be kind and understanding though, if the day comes when he mumbles, “Not tonight sweetie- I have a headache”.

Which NEW non hormonal contraceptive for men  might just beat the ’shot’ over the line? Find out in my next post.

Despite the ill winds blowing throughout the global economy at present, lots of fresh breezes have at last rustled things up for the better on the birth control front in America.

So what’s been happening on the birth control front in the last few months?

Major changes in the US -  thanks to the new president.

Read Obama’s top 10 women’s health achievements, a real tonic,  HERE .

also:

• affordable low dose birth control is now available to college students and women on low incomes
• the FDA has approved the over the counter sale of the emergency contraceptive,  Plan B, for 17 year olds - quite rightly, it won’t be as easy as picking up a packet of aspirin though, the pharmacist will verify age prior to dispensing and also monitor the number of prescriptions filled. The pharmacist should also check for any allergies to the non medicinal ingredients in the product
• in some US states, more women are seeking permanent methods of birth control
• the ongoing recession has cost millions of people their jobs. Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics are seeing more and more people in their waiting rooms. Generally these clinics serve young women between 18 and 24 but now older clients and many without insurance are coming in(CCMC Push journal)
•  the FDA has approved the FC2- a cheaper and improved version of the female condom that is made from synthetic rubber instead of polyurethane
• a small study out of Pittsburgh (only 70 women) may encourage further research into the effects of low dose birth control pills on suppressing the release of anabolic hormones which help build lean muscle mass
• scientists revive dormant gene to prevent HIV transmission

SO….Plan B is now accessible to 17 year olds without a prescription. 17 year olds are, in my opinion, quite capable of taking responsibility for managing their own birth control AND emergency contraception - with support.
If you are 17 years old or younger and sexually active please read on:

• Plan B is for emergency contraception ONLY and should not be used by anybody, regardless of age, as a regular form of birth control

• decide on a long term birth control plan for your own ‘contraception career’, this may mean trialling a few low dose birth control pills until you find one that suits your metabolism or exploring the option of an implant, injection or IUD

•  be brave enough to have intelligent conversations with your parents about birth control if they give you the chance-  if not, take advantage of the ongoing advice, counselling and resources available to you through Family Planning clinics or a health expert you feel comfortable with

• ‘walk in’ and get tested for STDs so you and your friends can brag about being ‘clean’

• have fun with the new female condom if he won’t use his

Plan B does not prevent sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV/AIDS but it is effective in preventing pregnancy if taken within 72 (3 days) hours of unprotected intercourse and certainly within 120 hours (5 days).
Plan B does not contain estrogen and is not a low dose contraceptive - each pill contains 0.75mg of the progestin hormone, levonorgestrel. Two pills need to be taken, each can be taken 12 hours apart or at the same time. Plan B will not interfere with an established pregnancy- it works by preventing ovulation or fertilisation. In medical terms, pregnancy begins when a fertilised egg attaches itself to the wall of the uterus.

I don’t relish advocating medication, synthetic hormones, artificial colouring, preservatives and all the other stuff that is foreign to our bodies but when it comes to assisting young people  through their sexual journey in safety, ie. without catching an STD and without getting pregnant until they are ready,  I believe a ‘duty of care’ must balance the pros and cons. Young people need all the help they can get to access appropriate birth control and to learn to use this synthetic hormone (Plan B) responsibly.

For further information on Plan B visit this earlier post.

Sincere apologies for my absence since Christmas.  Family issues both here and overseas had to take priority but hopefully I shall be able to keep you up to date with low dose birth control information at least one or twice a month from now on and I hope you all enjoyed Valentine’s Day without any ‘unwanted’ follow ups.

 Next post-  update on male contraception methods

This will be my last post before I have a break over Christmas and New year so I thought I would make it a quick ‘reference’ one that could be used in an ‘emergency’ during the holiday.

You could find  yourself in this situation

Great Christmas Eve party and Laura’s bash last night was the best ever BUT….in the cold light of day you suddenly realise that you’ve missed taking 2 low dose birth control pills in a row and you had champagne ‘Christmas’ sex both nights WITHOUT a condom. Sperm can survive up to 5 days inside you so if you have no Plan B to take, what action can you take NOW to reduce your chance of getting pregnant?

Tony Thornton, CEO of Planned Parenthood says about four low dose birth control pills will achieve the same effect as an emergency contraceptive but you should contact a pharmacist before taking more than the recommended dose of your current low dose birth control pill.

Using your low dose birth control pill for emergency contraception is the next best thing if you are really in a desperate situation so below is a dosage guide for some of the popular brands.  If your brand is not listed, check the leaflet in the pack for instructions for ‘emergency use’.   PHONE a 24 hour clinic for advice as well!

Use a barrier method for 7 days as backup protection too (ie. a male or female condom plus spermicide)   Sex without condoms is UNCOOL -  know that you are exposing yourself and your future partners to sexually transmitted diseases.  The percentage of teenagers with Chlamydia is staggeringly high so get tested, stay clean and brag about it!

If Plan B is not available to you the Food and Drug Administration has declared the following brands of low dose birth control pills to be safe and effective for emergency contraception if used in the higher doses as recommended. See RHS of this post for further information on pills mentioned:

Ovral (1 dose is 2 white pills)

Alesse (1 dose is 5 pink pills)

Levlen or Nordette (1 dose is 2 light-orange pills)

Lo/Ovral (1 dose is 4 white pills)

Tri-Levlen or Triphasil (1 dose is 4 yellow pills)

A copper IUD  will also be effective if inserted within 5 days following intercourse but this method of long term birth control should not be rushed into for emergency measures without thorough discussion with a health professional.

Check with a health professional at once if you need emergency contraception and you are breastfeeding - even though there are no actual studies to prove that hormonal contraceptives damage a baby, please be cautious with ALL medications you take. Whatever you swallow is absorbed by your body and eventually passes through your milk and reaches your baby- do you really want your baby to have to cope with huge doses of hormones, alcohol or drugs? Your baby has no ’say’ in the matter so even though you find yourself stressed in this emergency situation, put the baby first and please don’t  panic if you have to include bottle feeds for a while.

Wishing you a very safe and loving Christmas and a New Year that brings you happiness and fulfillment in all you do,

See you in January then,

Kindest regards Carole

This post is more about your cervix, girls, than your low dose birth control regime. The photos I’m linking to in this post may be a bit ‘icky’ for some of you but please don’t let it put you off looking at them- they are fantastic and the woman who shares them with us is to be commended for giving us this ‘gift’ of herself.

Do you live period to period when it comes to managing your birth control or do you have a PLAN for the whole 30-35 years of your ‘contraception career’? If you’ve planned your method of birth control and are protecting yourself against STIs for even the next 3 years, well done - but that low dose birth control pill you may be using is only one of the partners on the team. The other important partner in your long term contraception career, apart from your sexual partner(s) that is, is YOUR BODY. The better you know it, the better partner it will be to you during your ‘contraception career’.

Like many young girls , you were  probably offered the low dose birth control pill when you embarked on your ‘contraception career’ and it’s possible that apart from the condom,  all the other birth control methods available (there are14) were not mentioned. Being able to mix n’ match birth control methods is a real advantage as your life changes over the next 30 odd years.  If you know what a cervix looks and feels like (some say it feels like the tip of your nose) you’ll understand better how these different methods work and you may feel less squeamish and more confident about using them.

Knowing what your cervix looks like will add to your knowledge of your body and management of your birth control methods:

• entrance or neck of your uterus/womb- it is through this little opening that the lining of your uterus is shed each month if you do not get pregnant
• ‘fits over the cervix’ - you’ll hear this when discussing how to use a diaphragm, cap, femidom
• cervical mucus- this is where it comes from, what it looks like and how its consistency changes during your menstrual cycle and as a result of using hormonal birth control methods
• cancer ‘of the cervix’ - is cancer of this part of your body
• a cervical smear test or Pap test - sample cells are taken from here to check for abnormalities
• ‘inserted THROUGH the the neck of the cervix’ - it is through this little opening that an IUD is inserted
• “her cervix is fully dilated” - a phrase you’ll hear during labour when a baby is ready to enter the birth canal, the opening is measured in cms and monitored throughout labour (10cms usually means ‘fully dilated’)

Before you click away ‘cos you think the next bit is going to be boring Biology, do you know how your cervix changes on each day of your menstrual cycle and how these changes relate to other monthly changes in your body, PMS included? By the time you’ve finished looking at these photos and reading the captions, I’ll lay a femidom to a condom that you’ll be passing this link onto several of your friends and going “Wow”.

When I took my 13 yr. old daughter with me to watch me have my annual Pap test and to find out what a cervix looked like, eyebrows were raised (this was over 15 years ago) Thank goodness I had a ‘with it’ doctor back then but even these days I do not hear of mum’s being encouraged to give this simple gift to their daughters. That little visit took away any mystery/fear around the test for my daughter when she came to have her own Pap test a few years later and it set the scene for us to talk about sex ’stuff’ when she started having boyfriends.

You’re probably saying, “Forget it- there’s no way I’d go with my mum to watch that!”  Obviously the ‘comfort’ factor for both you and your mum is a big issue here so let’s assume this communal visit ISN’T going to happen - the next best thing you can do to acquaint yourself with this important part of your body is to take a look at these fantastic photos of the changes that occur in your cervix during each day of your menstrual cycle.

The photos of cervical mucus are really helpful too, for those of you well past teenagehood, with regular menstrual cycles and an interest in practising natural birth control.

Yesterday you couldn’t tell your best friend what a cervix looks like could you - today you can - fantastic!

Yesterday I told you about the newest version of the female condom, the FC2, under review by the FDA advisory panel for marketing in the US.  The good news is confirmed that this potentially less costly method of birth control received unanimous backing-  the FC2 is still highly effective in preventing pregnancy AND STIs.

The lower price (30%?) should also make this new female condom more attractive to women which means that we females can have peace of mind and even more choice regarding how we manage our ‘contraception career’.
“I find it empowering to be able to take charge and put on the female condom myself,” says Linda Arnade, a health worker in Chicago who has used FC for three years. “I like being able to put it in several hours before sex, and the fact that the material feels stronger than latex. I once had a male condom break, but that’s never happened to me with the female condom.” Manufacturer studies show 50 to 70 percent of users find the device acceptable once they have experience using it.

The cost of producing this newer version can be reduced because the new material (synthetic rubber)  allows a method to be used that is similar to the one for producing male condoms. Cost estimates range from $1.40 to $2.10 for consumers and about half that for health care organizations that distribute it.

Safe if you have an allergy to latex- the synthetic rubber is ‘user friendly’.

Most other countries have already adopted FC2 - this recent FDA approval also enables the new female condom to be sold in more countries overseas, as the U.S. Agency for International Development needs FDA approval before it can buy the cheaper version
“Female condoms are the only woman-controlled method of safer sex, and we also know what the birth control pill did for women: it allowed them an unprecedented control over their reproductive status,” said American Social Health Association Vice President Deborah Arrindell.
Mary Ann Leeper, an adviser and former president of Female Health Co said ” Even with approval, it will take time for the company to relaunch it for U.S. consumers. The company is looking for a marketing partner to help distribute it more widely.“  Health advocates say that if the government moves quickly in recommending FC2 approval, the new condom could be on U.S. pharmacy shelves--and in the hands of aid organizations that distribute it worldwide–some time in 2009.  Let’s hope they DO pass on the production savings.

Sources: Women’s eNews-Author: Molly M. Ginty

OK, so you feel a bit squeamish about even trying a female condom, called a femidom but your low dose birth control pill is not ‘cool’ when it comes to protecting you from an STI.   Expect your partner to wear a condom?  Excellent-  but it could be fun finding out if you both enjoy a ‘change’ and he is sure to be impressed that you’ve even considered something a bit different.  All part of the sexual learning curve AND combined with your low dose birth control pill, it puts YOU in the total birth control seat.
If you are happy with your low dose birth control regime, having backup, barrier protection of some kind as well is the smart thing to do.  A downside to Femidoms is that they cost more (between $2.80 and $4) than  male condoms, which come in a variety of brands and cost between 50 cents and $2 a piece. If approval is given to market the new version , the FC2 should be potentially less expensive and more durable than the current female condoms on the shelves.
Current female condoms are made of polyurethane whereas this new kind, the FC2 Female Condom, made by Female Health Co, is made of NITRILE - a form of synthetic rubber similar to male condoms. FC2 is being reviewed by an FDA advisory panel this week for its cpacity to prevent pregnancy aswell as HIV and STIs.
The new female condom is exactly the same design and is used in the same way as the current female condom which is made of polyurethane. Both versions are comprised of a sheath with a closed ring on one end that is inserted near the cervix and an open ring on the outer end that stays outside the woman’s body. Male condoms are far more widely used than their female counterpart, although you could argue that the female condom has the advantage of providing greater protection by covering part of a woman’s outer genitals. Go HERE for dias. on how to fit a female condom.
I hesitate to mention another ‘off putting’ aspect of using a femidom that rumour has it some gals complain about and that’s the rustling sound during sex, bit like putting it in a plastic bag, eh?  Well, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it at least once, if only for a giggle- sex is fun remember?   Barbara Hastings -Asatourian of Contraception Eduction Ltd. in the UK  has been working in the sexual health arena for decades and demonstrates the femidom often- here’s what she told me in an email the other day about the noise issue: “My experience of the legendary “rustle” is that it doesn’t! Female condoms have so much lube on them there’s no noise at all. The dry ones I use in demonstrations make a very little noise, and that might be where this off putting piece of folk lore came from. If there is the slightest noise to hear from a female condom one would have to have ears very close one’s vagina, and be paying a dysproportionate level of attention to it! The other noises around sex tend to be louder and more interesting, and a lot more real! Remember there may be extra pleasure to be had from positioning the female condom’s outer ring on or near the clitoris. Now that has to be worth trying….”
Many other countries, especially Africa,  have already adopted the new female condom to prevent the spread of the HIV virus but the FDA needs to sanction the product before it can be sold in the US. Watch this space folks!  Best prices for female condoms can be found at this site - just type  “female condom” into the search box. I’ll let you know when I find a site that sells the new version too.
Tomorrow I’ll let you know the decision of the FDA advisory Panel.

This is a quick, lighthearted post about condom fashion- I’m pushing the ‘condom consciousness’ at this time of year for obvious ‘party’ reasons.  Take a look at these wonderful creations from the 4th China Reproductive Health New Technologies & Products Expo in Beijing last year.

CONDOMS RULE, OK?  Don’t leave home without them.