Contraceptives

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

Do you have a friend who sends you a text message so that you won’t forget to shop for your low dose birth control pill?  “As if!”  you laugh, well in the UK  the government plans to do just that.  It is estimated that this will cut 73,000 pregnancies each year and save the National health Service (NHS) £100 million. NHS bosses reckon every £1 spent on contraception saves £11 on unwanted pregnancies.

If you live in Britain and you go to your GP for a prescription for your low dose birth control pill, you will be asked if you want to join the system that sends you a text message when your course of pills is about to run out and books you in for the next appointment.  You will also be able to phone in for advice on which birth control is best for you.  And women who leave clinics with only temporary protection - or none at all - will be sent texts urging them to return for follow-up checks.

This is great if you live month to month and don’t have 3 months of low dose birth control pills in stock but it doesn’t help with the chore of having to remember to take that pill at the same time DAILY.

You’ll be a rare bird if you haven’t forgotten to take your low dose birth control pill at least once during the month.  Hopefully you have a routine for pill taking that serves you well most of the time, (if you have a foolproof tip, let me know and I’ll share) however, with Christmas parties already in swing you’re in danger of crashing in the wee hours, sleeping in late and completely forgetting that little round pill-your faithful ‘child protector.’

To avoid that “Damn it!” moment and a dash for the emergency pack, see if one of these tips will work for you:

First of all, please read the package leaflet at least once when you open your pack of Ortho Tri Cyclen or other brand of contraceptive pill. If you have, you will know how important it is to take the pill at the same time each day. There is a reason for this- it helps to keep a steady and measured dose of hormones supplied  to your body throughout 24 hours AND throughout your whole cycle and it also helps to minimise any side effects you may experience, such as spotting and breakthrough bleeding.

1. ‘Out of sight out of mind’ is an old saying that doesn’t just apply to people!   It is true when it comes to taking medication- if the pills are not right there in front of you why would you think about them?  Putting your pack of contraceptive pills out of sight will not help you to establish a good ‘pill taking’ habit so make sure your contraceptive pill pack is next to your toothbrush or by that glass of water on the bedside table or in the drawer alongside your jar of night cream.
2. OK, so your job has ridiculous shifts or you travel a lot and routines keep changing- you must find a new routine to ‘attach’ your pill taking act to!  Carry your contraceptive pill pack in your handbag and take it with lunch/ morning/afternoon coffee BUT do follow the same routine daily so that you are still supplying your body with its steady, measured dose of hormones throughout that 24 period. If you have a long drive home, get into the habit of taking a pill with a juice in the car so that you don’t get caught up in the ‘dinner’ stuff when you get home and fall exhausted into bed and forget.

3. If you’re off on a Christmas holiday , keep your contraceptive pills within reach- preferably in your hand luggage, not in your suitcase in case it gets lost. Don’t leave them in the hotel bathroom either, keep them in your purse so you can enjoy the events of your trip without worrying about being hours late in taking your pill.

4. Get some help if you just can’t seem to manage the pill taking routine yourself- explain the problem and your daily schedule to your doctor or health care provider and they may be able to suggest something that hadn’t occurred to you.

5. Remember to keep a spare pack of low dose birth control pills (and emergency contraception) on hand so you don’t run out and miss the first few days of your next pill cycle. Use your mobile phone, pc at work or a calendar to ‘alarm’ you one week in advance of your start date for a new pack.
Just a thought: You may wish to consider swapping over to long-lasting injections, an IUD or an implant (suitable for women aged between 18 and 45) if you habitually forget to take your low dose birth control pill.  I’d suggest waiting till after the festive season to do this to avoid any unwanted possible side effects with the new birth control method.

You could try leaving this video on constant play for subliminal brainwashing in your bedroom  if all else fails!  It would drive me mad but hey, whatever works for you.

And for extra ‘peace of mind and goodwill toward men ‘ this Christmas - never leave the house without your condoms - take these festive ‘condoms on a stick’ to a party  and you’ll be the centre of attention!