Contraception Specialist

My partner and I are careful. Is medical contraception really necessary?

Many methods of contraception are available that don’t require a trip to the doctor. With fertility awareness, you can plan your sexual activity around your menstrual cycle and try to avoid having unprotected sex on those days. Male condoms, female condoms, and vaginal spermicides are options that are available at pharmacies without a prescription.

The problem is that these methods of birth control don’t always work. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 49 percent of pregnancies in 2011 were unplanned! The failure rate for male condoms is 18 percent, and you have a 24 percent chance of unintentionally getting pregnant if you’re sexually active and depending on awareness of your menstrual cycle.

How do “The Pill” and other hormonal contraceptives work?

Hormonal contraceptives work by providing hormones that mimic pregnancy. This interferes with ovulation and reduces the chance of fertilization. These contraceptives contain the hormone progestin and may also have estrogen. Options include the following.

• Oral contraceptives, or “the pill,” which you take every day.
• Injections every three months.
• Skin patches that you remove and replace once a month.
• An implant that releases progestin over a three-year period.

Are there any other alternatives for contraception?

Hormonal contraceptives can lead to side effects, such as nausea and spotting, in some women. Other birth control options are available that do not involve hormones.

• Copper T intrauterine device (CT IUD), which can be replaced once a decade.
• Tubal ligation or “tube tying,” which is an immediately effective outpatient procedure.
• Transcervical sterilization, which takes about 3 months to become effective.