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Sexual awareness, good knowledge of how the body works and plenty of involvement in the family life are necessary for a couple to successfully practice natural family planning. This kind of birth control is not easy, and both partners share the duty of getting information. The same methods used for the prevention of pregnancy can also be applied the other way round, when the couple is trying to conceive. Among the most common options here we can mention tests for ovulation, the monitoring of the cervical mucus, the basal temperature method, the standard days method, and even computer fertility tests and charts.

Natural family planning comes cheap and it is not difficult to understand and put into practice. Yet, it requires willingness to accept the eventual limitations of the method as well as good communication with the life partner. From the entire month, only ten days can be fertile, you just have to approximate which ones. Two choices are possible: not to have sex or use some other birth control method. Condoms will prevent both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, while natural family planning only works for pregnancy prevention.

It is important for the woman to interpret her fertility daily, so that natural family planning be effective. Keep in mind that there are chances of getting pregnant even if you calculate your fertile and infertile days; consequently, consider alternative birth control if a pregnancy could be devastating for you. Therefore, if a possible pregnancy would not be such a disaster for you, natural family planning could be taken more lightly. The effectiveness of the method can only be appreciated depending on how accurate the woman is with her interpretation.

In the case of perfect usage, natural family planning is more effective than oral contraceptives. Yet, if we are to discuss not the perfect user but the average user, the efficiency rate drops somewhere between 75% and 88%. These data are closer to reality because few people who use natural family planning, actually follow all the rules correctly.

Who uses natural family planning? Such birth control choices enjoy a higher popularity within some communities because of some cultural or religious beliefs. There are families that won’t mind conceiving and therefore take little care of birth control. In fact, for most couples who try natural family planning, a baby would not be a problem or a mistake.

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Fertility awareness inevitably leads to natural birth control. There are many couples out there who for one reason or another cannot use hormonal contraceptives, and prefer to combine natural family planning with some non-traditional birth control method. The sympto-thermal method, the ovulation method, the standard days method or the rhythm method are just a few of the natural birth control choices people rely on. Yet, they seem to work in a similar way.

The standard days method

According to this type of natural birth control, the menstrual cycle is divided into three main periods. The menstrual bleeding occurs on day !. Between day 1 and day 8, you are unlikely to get pregnant and you can have sex without birth control. Ovulation occurs between day 9 and day 18, and this is the most fertile interval. You should not have sex, or you should use another birth control method. Natural birth control is once again possible between day 20 and day 32.

The ovulation method

The analysis of the changes in the cervical mucus makes the basis for the ovulation method. Ovulation usually takes place between the 9th and the 18th day of the menstrual cycle, but variations are possible from woman to woman. The fertility tests available in drug stores can help you determine when you ovulate, and thus you can use some extra birth control during that period.

The sympto-thermal method

The sympto-thermal method is both a natural birth control solution as well as an option for couples trying to conceive. It requires a careful monitoring of the changes in the body and it needs several months to reach a conclusion for the observation.

There are no guarantees with natural birth control. There are many unknown factors in the way a woman’s body works during the menstrual cycle, and many unplanned pregnancies appear as a result. If the menstrual pattern is regular, then the efficiency of natural birth control methods is very high, just like that of hormonal birth control. Seek medical advice and see what recommendations you can get. Professional advice makes choices a lot easier, and good information may save you from an unwanted pregnancy!

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An easy to administrate contraceptive solution, the birth control shot makes a good choice for lots of couples all over the world. It contains progesterone only, with the hormone being slowly released into the body. The main impact of this hormone is to prevent ovulation, meaning that there will be no egg release monthly.

The efficiency range of the birth control shot is superior to that of the birth control pill. While with the pill, 8 in 100 couples get pregnant yearly, the rate is only 3 in 100 per year in the case of the birth control shot. The chances of getting pregnant are very high if you don’t administer the next shot on time.

You should also be aware of the fact that the birth control shot does not provide protection against STD. Plus, there are physiological changes that could be an inconvenience while using this birth control method. Normally included in the list of adverse reactions, you could be experiencing:
-irregular menstrual periods;
-headaches, breast tenderness and weight gain;
-depression and mood changes.

Most of these problems disappear with the cessation of the treatment, yet, you may have to battle against overweight fiercely afterwards. There are some further serious warnings related to the long-term usage of the progesterone injection. Thus, studies indicate that it increases the incidence of loss in bone density which could lead to osteoporosis.

In case you decide that the birth control shot is a good option for you, talk to your health care provider and make sure that your daily calcium intake is enough to support the hormonal treatment without loss of bone density. Moreover, fertility may be harder to recover after the long term use of the birth control shot. The fertility problem is not permanent, and women can recover in time, but difficulties could appear along the way.

We should also expose some health issues or conditions that make the use of the birth control shot problematic. You should not administer it if you suffer from any of the following:

-migraine;
-blood clots;
-unexplained vaginal bleeding;
-thrombosis;
-cancer;
-if you suspect a pregnancy.

As for costs, the birth control shot is not expensive, not to mention that health insurance usually covers the expenses. The best advice you can get related to the shot is at your doctor’s office.

Moreover, do not use other drugs or herbal supplements in parallel with the birth control shot because you could reduce the efficiency. If you must follow a medical treatment, then use some alternative birth control method.

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Statistics indicate that women are poorly informed about the interferences of antibiotics on hormonal contraception. You can read a lot on antibiotics and birth control now thanks to the development of the Internet, but there are some very resilient myths out there. Reality is nevertheless different from the scientific point of view, and here are a few things that may help you better understand how things stand.

Clinical studies indicate that only one antibiotic is proved to impair the action of the hormonal pill: rifampin, yet exceptions do exist. Generally speaking, when antibiotics and birth control are used in parallel, the efficiency of the contraceptives gets lower in for a limited number of women. Even if the incidence of such occurrences is reduced doctors advise for the use of an extra birth control solution such as condoms. It is impossible to tell who will experience decreased efficiency, until it is too late.

Modern hormonal products seem to be more affected by the interactions between antibiotics and birth control. The problem is that modern birth control products have very low hormonal combinations for a reduction of the side effects. Besides rifamin, you should also be cautious when using amoxacillin, penicillin, sulfonamide, ampicillin, minocycline, tetracycline and barbiturates.

Antibiotics and birth control pills do not make a good association because of the chemical reactions that take place in the liver. The antibiotics stimulate a more rapid breaking down of estrogens, and without a proper level of these chemicals in the blood, the efficiency of the birth control pills drops considerably. Caution is the best course of action under the circumstances, even if the incidence of unplanned pregnancies is not too high.

So as to avoid future complications, drug manufacturers have developed the practice of specifying the potential problems of the antibiotics and birth control association in all usage instructions. It is also important to talk to the doctor whether you have to continue using the extra birth control method after the cessation of the antibiotic treatment or not.

Some women choose to stop taking their birth control pills while following a treatment with antibiotics, but this is hardly a solution given how difficult it is for the body to adapt to these sudden hormonal changes. Talk to the doctor before taking any drug specifying the fact that you are on birth control pills. There are lots of other drugs that could impair the efficiency of birth control. It’s better to seek information than be sorry later.

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Birth control helps couples prevent unplanned pregnancies, and achieve protection against sexually transmitted diseases in some cases. While in the past birth control used to apply mainly to women, men also have choices. The birth control methods are very numerous and although the condom is probably the best known, many stable couples choose other options. Before moving on to have a brief look over the main birth control possibilities, we need to emphasize the fact that they ought to be chosen considering several factors

Have you got a stable relationship?

Do you change partners frequently?

When do you plan to have a baby?

Have you you evaluated your health condition?

How often do you have sex?

What is the efficiency level of method? Are there adverse reactions?

People who have occasional sex partners should always use condoms not only for birth control but also for protection against sexually transmitted diseases. If you have been in a long-term relationship and you think you can trust your partner, you can discuss other birth control methods such as hormonal pills, barriers, sterilization, intra-uterine devices (IUDs) and so on.

The pros and cons of a birth control options should be discussed with the health care provider. Some methods are totally safe and non-invasive while others pose some health hazards although minimal. People also base their choice of birth control methods on the efficiency rate. You should be aware of the fact that no birth control method other than abstinence (the choice of not having sex) has a 100% efficiency rate. Some people would even go to the length of combining several birth control methods to be certain that no unwanted pregnancy occurs.

The choice of a birth control method is very difficult for women in more peculiar conditions. Age could be an impediment if the woman is too young or if she approaches menopause. Then, there is chronic disease that reduces the number of birth control choices as well as various physical disabilities.

In addition to conventional birth control methods, there is also emergency contraception. Two pills are administered within five days from the unprotected sexual intercourse, and they are usually taken 12 hours apart. The effect is similar with that of regular hormonal birth control, although the efficiency rate is between 75% and 85%. There are limitations and a higher risk of side effects associated with emergency contraception.

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There are so many birth control options, that people are often at a loss about what to choose. You can only evaluate the birth control options with a specialist, a health care provider that can prescribe the most suitable one. Consider the following elements for your discussion with the health care provider.

-age;
-health condition;
-the regularity of the sexual activity;
-smoker or non-smoker;
-the efficiency of birth control options;
-your intention to start a family etc.

Birth control pills often make the most popular of birth control options. Any young woman that is in good health can use them when engaged in a long-term relationship. If you are over 35, you are a smoker or you have a more peculiar medical record, you should search for other possibilities.

Besides the prevention of unwanted pregnancy, condoms make the most suitable of all birth control options by the protection they provide against STD. The efficiency rate of such birth control options is pretty high. Use latex condoms only and follow the safety instructions.

Spermicides with or without a diaphragm ought to be introduced in the vagina at least a quarter of an hour before intercourse. If combined with spermicides, the device should remain in place for at least six hours after the sexual encounter. In comparison with hormonal birth control, spermicides are less efficient, even if supposedly, they kill the spermatozoon.

Among the birth control options preferred by young women we should also mention hormonal patches. They are considered very efficient, with an action similar to that of the hormonal pill; yet, you do not have to remember to administer it daily, which saves the user from the inconvenience of skipping a pill. Hormonal birth control options have numerous side effects, and you should be aware of them before beginning any treatment. Talk to a health care provider to get answers to all of your questions.

The intrauterine device or IUD is a T-shaped item that is introduced into the uterus by the gynecologist and prevents pregnancy by making the uterine lining unfavorable for egg implantation. Some IUDs can be kept for five years while others work for up to ten years. Such birth control options are not advisable for people who plan to have a child in a year or two.

There are other birth control options such as the method of the calendar, vasectomy, hysterectomy or voluntary sterilization. There are also innovative birth control options such as the male shot that inactivates the spermatozoon. Let’s not ignore the individual factor for such choices, because people have preferences for some birth control options over others.

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The birth control ring is a local device made of a soft and flexible material that is inserted in the vagina. It slowly releases hormones into the blood stream so as to influence the uterus and the ovaries and thus prevent pregnancy. The birth control ring contains two main ingredients: progesterone and estrogen, both with a role in the function of the reproductive system. The blockage of the ovulation means that no egg is released for fertilization. The ring also triggers changes in the uterine lining and the thickening of the cervical mucus.

The ring is inserted in the vagina on the first day of the monthly bleeding and it remains there for three weeks in a row. It should be removed on the same day of the week when it was inserted. Don’t use it for seven days more and the menstrual bleeding will occur. On the seventh day insert another ring and continue the cycle. The similarity is very high with regular hormonal treatments. Yet, you should check the usage instructions carefully so as to be sure that you don’t overlook some detail. When you first start the treatment, use some supplementary birth control method for seven days.

During this interval, the birth control ring needs to be used in parallel with some other birth control method: condom, most of the time. It is important to know that the ring will not protect you against sexually transmitted disease. You may wonder about the physical comfort, but this should not be a problem. You can tell in which position it seems more comfortable. You should not feel it as you don’t feel a vaginal tampon. Leave it in place when swimming, bathing or during intercourse.

In terms of efficiency, the birth control ring acts similarly with the combined pills. Yet, you may not be able to use it if you suffer from certain health conditions. Only a health care provider can determine whether the birth control ring makes a good choice for you or not. The number of adverse reactions is lower for the birth control ring, yet, unpleasant symptoms are often reported. Dizziness, headaches, spotting and mood changes are a few of the regular reactions to the use of the birth control ring. Normally, after the transition period, the inconvenience should go away.

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Lots of controversies have accumulated on the topic of male birth control, and things have been going like this for quite a while now. A few years ago large pharmaceutical companies like Schering, Organon or Wyeth announced the production of hormonal birth control designed especially for men, but the results of their research hasn’t been finalized yet. Why? The market seems to be little receptive to male birth control shots or pills, and the investments in technologies are huge. Several programs have been abandoned for this reason, and it seems that drug companies don’t show any renewal in their interest for this kind of birth control products.

Statistics show a certain willingness on the part of men to use alternative forms of birth control. Normally, male birth control is administered as an injection with testosterone that would prevent the production of sperm. A certain prejudice has been recognized with women because many are reluctant to trust men to follow such treatments. At present, vasectomy is the only viable male birth control solution besides the condom. How is hormonal birth control supposed to work for men?

The male birth control solution has to combine testosterone with progestin so as to suppress the production of sperm but with process reversibility. This is not possible with a pill because the testosterone would be too quickly broken down by the liver. Hormonal male birth control may be produced either as a monthly shot or as a topical product. Biannual implants could also be a solution, but the procedure required is considered too invasive.

Between 10% and 15% of men have a low reaction to hormonal male birth control, which is quite a high inefficiency rate. The issue is in the number of cells that need to be blocked. While with female hormonal treatments, there is just one egg to prevent from fertilizing, with male birth control, there are millions of spermatozoon that have to be inactivated. Race also seems to affect the efficiency of this birth control method although researchers don’t know why.

Last but not least, we should also briefly refer to condoms as the most commonly used form of male birth control. This is preferable for many couples around the world, as well as for people who change their sex partner often. It is the only birth control method without a direct impact on health.

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