Contraceptives

You’ve held that warm little body in your arms for the first time and know all about GIVING birth but before you face the issues that come with rearing your darling bundle of joy, fairly soon you’ll have to face the issue of how to CONTROL the timing of the next (?) birth. So do you just go back to the birth control method you were using before, assuming this was effective and the gorgeous darling was ‘planned’(!) or do you need to change to a different method now?

‘Low dose’ is a term used in birth control terminology to refer to the amount of ESTROGEN present in a contraceptive. To ‘qualify’ as low dose, there has to be only 0.035mg or less of estrogen present. You may be thinking at this point that it would be OK for you to use a low dose pill as it sounds reasonably safe BUT If you have decided to breastfeed, you should avoid using ANY birth control method that contains estrogen- namely, a combined contraceptive pill, a hormonal patch (which you know I do not recommend to anyone as a method of birth control anyway) and the Ring. Estrogen can affect your milk supply and also pass through to your baby. All is not lost though - This article does a good job of answering all those other questions you may have around birth control and pregnancy including:

• I’ve always been on the Pill, but now I’m breastfeeding. That means I can’t go back on it, right?
• I’m not sure whether I’m done having babies, so what’s long-term but not permanent?
• I’ve heard there’s a type of sterilization for women that isn’t surgical. Does it work? Is it permanent?
• I’d like to use “fertility awareness” as my birth-control method. How can I be sure I’m doing it right?

NB. Oral contraceptives may decrease the amount of folate in your body. Folate is important for the development of a healthy baby, so you should talk to your doctor if you want to become pregnant soon after you stop taking oral contraceptives.

I am researching birth control methods for women over 35 at present so come back later if that means you, for an update on the latest options.

Women’s contraceptive pills use chemical signals in our bodies to block ovulation so how are things going with the development of a male contraceptive to block sperm production, will it be in the form of a pair of sperm suppressing knickers, (now they really would be magic!) an implant, injection or a contraceptive pill?

It looks like it’s going to be a while yet before further options are added to what is currently a very short list of options for male contraceptives ( condoms and vasectomy) but the GOOD NEWS is that male hormonal birth control methods appear to have lower risks of side effects than female methods.  Oh, I do hope so for the sake of those little lab mice!  Read this latest news article about how men can be turned on and off, literally, in the reproductive basement.

A man’s pituitary gland produces the chemicals that signal sperm and testosterone production to commence in the testes. Men do not produce female progestin so a male hormonal contraceptive would have to consist of testosterone, along with the female hormone progestin. Once in the bloodstream, these hormones would tell the pituitary that the testes already had done their job, so the pituitary would not produce the signals.

Switching off the signal is likened to a thermostat switching off an air conditioner according to Ronald Swerdloff, head of the endocrinology department at the University of California, Los Angeles, Harbor Medical Center. You may be surprised to read in this article that in one survey of 9,000 men, more than half said they would use male birth control. They have never struggled and sweated themselves into a pair of magic knickers though have they girls, so it’s my bet that the pill will get the vote!

I realize that this post will only apply to a few women but hey, if 3 years supply of free contraceptives interests you, read on. A Contraceptive Choice Project is beginning at the Washington University School of Medicine and if you live in the St. Louis area, you may be one of 10,000 women who will be accepted for participating in a study AND reap considerable benefits along the way. The goal of the Contraceptive Choice Project is to better understand contraceptive choices.

As well as the free birth control for three years, you’ll also get free testing for sexually transmitted disease, free STD treatment and the satisfaction of helping others learn about contraceptive choice.

As far as I’m concerned, the more we can keep this topic in the limelight, the more funds may be spent on improving contraceptives, developing new types of contraceptives to provide a wider range of birth control options and very importantly, making sure that women are much more knowledgeable about what goes into contraceptives and their effects on the body- especially the hormonal ones.

Don’t be shy or embarrassed about getting involved in a study about contraceptives, maybe you could get together some girlfriends and all do it as part of your ‘further education’? This is your chance to do your bit for all the goddesses out there and the money that you would have spent on 3 years supply of contraceptives? Well, an extra $700 or $800 in the kitty isn’t to be sneezed at is it, girls?

NO RISK

Oh, and in case you’re wondering if this study is going to increase your risk of getting pregnant- only if you do not continue to use your contraceptives correctly and consistently as you do now, yes? This study is about contraceptive CHOICES, not effectiveness. Check out the study at 314-747-0800,

OR you can read the PDF on line

You know that I will not and have never recommended the contraceptive patch on this site, except to warn you about the risks if you really want to use it. A Public Citizen petition has just been filed demanding withdrawal of the contraceptive patch from the market within six months. If by chance you are still using a contraceptive patch, I’m making a personal plea to you now not to continue using it, even for another six months. “When in doubt, leave it out” girls, as there are many more types of contraceptives to choose from with lesser risks. Why take a risk, even for another six months, with a contraceptive that has had so many negative reports from users, bad publicity and law suits attached to it? The package should come with its own red flashing light and siren sound - not just an amended warning label!

Is the FDA (or more correctly, Johnson and Johnson) using women as lab rats?

When a packaged food item in a product batch is tampered with or suspected of placing consumers at risk, it is recalled immediately and supermarkets sweep it off their shelves. In the case of the contraceptive patch, it could not be confirmed that the level of estrogen was consistent in each batch! The FDA agreed that further studies needed to be done on a product that they knew (2 years ago) affected blood clotting and could place women in danger of strokes. Was the product swept off the shelves? No. The FDA just kept amending the label warning (3 times!) and left women to make a decision about its risks without providing them with the full facts.

It’s not as though the patch is the best or only contraceptive in the world. What is the FDA waiting for, further ‘free’ evidence and possibly more deaths while the window of opportunity remains open for lawyers to advertise their services to women with problems? Shameful!

I accept that one of the main birth control ‘benefits’ of using the contraceptive patch is the convenience of not having to remember to take a pill each day but if you still believe that this advantage outweighs the potentially high risk to your health, consider changing from this type of contraceptive to an IUD like Mirena or Paragard or at the very least, discuss some alternative birth control methods with your doctor.

6 months phase out of the contraceptive patch-why ?

Why is a phase out period for the contraceptive patch needed at all? Because the powers that be are worried that we women may not immediately replace the patch with another form of birth control- Hello!-we panic if we miss one pill or throw up! OK, so you need time to have a chat with your health care provider about another type of contraceptive but is a short spell of ‘playing safe’ with condoms too big an ask for an empowered, responsible, modern young woman who successfully manages her ‘contraception career’? (that’s why you visit this site yes?) Why refill a prescription, even for six months, when that last round of patches could leave you with one of the biggest regrets of your life?

The patch releases high doses of estrogen into a women’s body creating an unacceptable risk to her health so suggesting that in 6 months time it is pulled off the shelves does little to reduce the problem today. Six months gives time for more lawsuits to arise and with them the inevitable toll on unfortunate women.

“Women deserve a level of risk at least comparable to or less than the pill for their hormonal contraceptive. The absence of any evidence of a unique benefit combined with the considerable safety problems of high-dose, variable estrogen exposure in Ortho-Evra tips the balance of risks and benefits against its availability as a contraceptive.” ……Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen.

Come on girls, this is no time for apathy, if you still have a contraceptive patch in the pack I strongly urge you to leave it there. A lower dose of estrogen in a contraceptive pill may not seem attractive to you right now but for tonight’s protection go grab some trendy condoms then head off to see the doc!

There’s detailed information about different types of contraceptive pills on this site and I’ve found the cheapest on line suppliers for the brand names listed on the RHS of this page, including Alesse, Desogen, Levlen, Mircette, Ovral, Ortho Tricyclen and Yaz/Yasmin.

May 8th was the 7th annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy in Mesa County. I’d like to do my bit by including this link to a teen sex quiz- it’s not just for girls but all teens whether they are sexually active or not. If you have a teenager in the house, maybe you could ‘not so subtly’ leave the page up on the pc? It’s not a ‘fluffy’ shallow quiz that will waste your time or I would not have it here -so check it out.

If you are a teenager, I’ll bet that some of the brief dialogues in the quiz ‘case scenarios’ will be familiar to you and your friends. If you take the teen sex quiz, you will be advised to remember that no one’s looking over your shoulder so you can be honest- don’t give the answers you think are the ‘correct’ ones, choose the ones that are closest to what you would do in that situation. You never know, you could be in a for a surprise!

S.E.X.: The All-You-Need-To-Know Progressive Sexuality Guide to Get You Through High School and College

Do you participate in one of today’s highest risk activities- taking oral contraceptive pills and smoking, especially if you are over 35 years of age, babies are off the agenda but you enjoy a great sex life AND your ciggies?

Why does your heart beat faster and faster? Why do your blood vessels get narrower?

We all know that smoking is bad for your lungs and can cause cancer and it is also a fact that taking contraceptive pills and smoking does place women at a much higher risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke than taking oral contraceptive pills and NOT smoking. So, yes, smoking is the major villain here and in case you didn’t come top of the class in Health Ed. but you’re still a little bit interested in what happens inside your circulatory system (the arteries and veins that carry the blood throughout the body) when you smoke, take a look HERE at this easy to read explanation from JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Assocn). If you do, you’ll feel like a ‘know it all’ and and I’ll feel better that I gave you the option as ‘back up’ to your ‘contraception education’.

I have never smoked so it’s easy for me to recommend which activity to give up if you love your baby free, happy sex life and are up for a challenge - maybe after reading the JAMA page you’ll learn to love your throbbing pink circulatory system more than those deathly white cancer sticks (ouch) Contraceptive pills and smoking just ain’t good bedfellows!

There are 17 (seventeen) different types of birth control on the market, apart from the emergency contraceptive pill-  which one is the best for you? For a really quick reference this free, handy  FDA BIRTH CONTROL GUIDE gives you an overview of the various types of birth control available today, their success rates, risks involved with each and how to use them .  Consider using more than one type of birth control, particularly if you have multiple partners, as most types of birth control do NOT protect you against HIV/AIDS or any other sexually transmitted disease?

Of course, your initial consultation should always be with a health care provider or family planning
professional but this handy chart will at least place you in a powerful position to begin discussing the
options that are best suited to you and your circumstances.

If You Choose a Contraceptive Pill

You may find that once you have your prescription, particularly if it is for an oral contraceptive pill such as Alesse or Ortho Tri Cyclen, that ordering your contraceptive on line is the most convenient way of purchasing. Repeat Ordering on line reduces the risk of running out of pills at the end of the month (most dangerous time to miss a pill!)  and ordering several months supply at once will save you money.

It’s easy to settle into an ordering routine once you find a contraceptive pill that ‘agrees’ with you and
has few or no side effects but it is also a good idea to review your medication with your doctor at least
once a year when you go for your Pap smear.

If the first prescription does not suit you, it may be that you have AN INTOLERANCE TO ESTROGEN, an active ingredient contained in the combined contraceptive pills and need to trial a ‘progestin’ only pill (often called the ‘mini pill’). Trial a different type of oral contraceptive for a few months and hopefully you’ll find one that is acceptable- if not, your doctor will advise you of alternate methods of birth control that will be appropriate for your age and medical history.

Talk with your Partner about Types of Birth Control

Get rid of the stress, get rid of the anxiety over becoming pregnant, especially if you are a sexually active teenager. I am aware that on this site, even though I try to cater for the guys too, so much information on types of birth control seems to be targetted at ‘females only’.  I realise that there is still a very limited range of birth control options for guys but PLEASE, talk to your sexual partner(s)  about the types of birth control that you are both happy to use. It is the 21st century! Leaving all the responsibility for contraception up to women alone is just ‘not on’ anymore.

I believe that everyone deserves a joyful and healthy sex life, free from the anxiety of unwanted panic attacks (”OMG I’m pregnant!” or “OMG I’ve got an STD!”) and the facing the dilemma of abortion.I also believe that both partners should ‘want’ a child only when the time is right and let’s face it, that may be never so long term options for birth control may be the ‘go’ for some. It follows then that both
partners should be responsible for discussing, planning and managing an appropriate ‘contraceptive career’ together until that time comes around……..and with the right person.  Go get that free GUIDE now.