Contraception

Contraception General Information

Nowadays, birth control or Contraception is a matter of great interest for both male and female individuals from all over the world. Such medical terms refer to a special medical regimen which involves one or more devices, actions or medical products which have to be employed in order for the patient to effectively prevent or at least to greatly reduce their chances of pregnancy. The history of this medical area starts with the discovery of the link between pregnancy and coitus. Some of the oldest types of birth control methods include pessaries, coitus interruptus, ingestion of special herbs which were thought to present abortifacient or contraceptive effects, and so on.

An ancient Egyptian set of directions on how to create a special contraceptive pessary has been discovered; it is considered the oldest record of Contraception techniques. Each type of birth control method presents a set of special characteristics. For example, the use of condoms is considered one of the most effective contraceptive method; it is the only birth control method which can offer you efficient protection against STDs (this abbreviation stands for sexually transmitted disorders). Religious and also cultural attitudes concerning birth control methods still significantly vary.

There are numerous methods in which a couple can avoid an undesired pregnancy, and they have formed certain categories; for example, there are numerous physical contraceptive methods (barrier methods, hormonal methods, etc), behavioral methods (coitus interruptus, fertility awareness, abstinence, avoiding vaginal intercourse), and so on. Your gynecologist or your main medical prescriber will help you decide which of these contraceptive methods fits your expectations and your clinical condition best.

Contraception

In this part of our presentation we will refer to a couple of special contraceptive methods, which present special characteristics with which each patient should be familiar. Impossible as it may seem, some females are still unaware of the existence of emergency Contraception; this birth control method belongs to the hormonal class of contraceptive tactics and it is also widely referred to as “the morning after pill” – despite its figurative name, this type of contraceptive hormonal medicine can be employed within 72 hours from the unprotected sexual contact. We will provide you with a short list of the most common emergency contraceptive pills in the third (and last) chapter of this article. Another type of emergency contraceptive technique implies the use of intrauterine devices; these medical gadgets are made of copper; in order to be able to prevent the installation of a pregnancy, the device must be applied within 4-5 days after the unprotected sexual contact. As you can see, the most common emergency Contraception techniques seem to work by preventing or by suppressing ovulation. This is one of the reasons for which some religious persons consider them an indirect type of abortion. This matter is still widely discussed.

A very popular contraceptive method which does not imply the use of any type of medical product is the fertility awareness (this is a behavioral method of Contraception). Females who employ this type of birth control technique have to constantly observe and regularly chart her organism’s fertility manifestations – this will help her find out which are the fertile and which are the infertile phases of her monthly period. This type of charting can be achieved either by hand or through the help of a special software. There are 3 major fertility signs: changes of the female’s basal body temperature, changes of the patient’s cervical position and cervical mucus. Symptothermal Contraception means that the patient tracks her basal temperature and also another primary manifestations. Mittelschmerz are also common bodily clues; however, they are considered secondary manifestations / indicators. A woman who is relying on fertility awareness as her main contraceptive technique will avoid engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse in her fertile periods (this technique is most effective if the patient restricts unprotected sexual intercourses to the part of her monthly period which is considered least fertile). Other similar non-medication contraceptive techniques include the widely known calendar methods (the standard days and / or the rhythm method).

The most effective Physical Contraception remains surgical sterilization. Both female and male patient can undergo this medical procedure; in the case of women it is called tubal ligation, while in the case of men it is widely referred to as vasectomy. Although in the case of females the process is commonly called “tying the tubes”, the surgeon can either block, clamp, cut or tie – whatever it takes to prevent sperm from reaching the female’s unfertilized egg. Essure is also a sterilization procedure, but it is a non-surgical one. During such a medical procedure the female’s tubes are blocked. Such Contraceptive options are permanent birth control methods.

Contraception Treatment

In the last part of our presentation we intend to describe to you a set of medical products which can be employed as effective birth control options. Such clinical remedies are mainly hormonal Contraception agents. One of the most common oral contraceptives is Ortho Tri-cyclen, a product which can be purchased in a dial dispenser. Such medical products mainly differ from one another through their delivery methods. Commonly used birth control agents are medical combinations between progestins and oestrogens. Such combinations can be purchased under the form of the combined oral contraceptive pill. However, other contraceptive options such as NuvaRing (a special vaginal ring) or contraceptive patches are available as well.

An injectable contraceptive remedy (which has to be administered on a monthly basis) is Lunelle. Other Contraception agents only contain a synthetic type of progestogen (mainly, a progestin). Such products include the minipill (the progesterone only pill), Depo Provera (an injectable medication which is administered every 3 months intra-muscularly), Noristerat (this intra-muscular injection has to be administered every 8 weeks). Contraceptive implants are also very popular. You must be aware of the fact that each of these birth control techniques is characterized by a special reliability rate and by a set of advantages and disadvantages. In order to achieve further information concerning these contraceptive agents you should refer to a clinical specialist. Try referring to a gynecologist or at least to your main medical prescriber.