Women have a lot of options that are safe and effective, including some that are even more reliable. You can choose a contraceptive that’s used daily, weekly, monthly, once every three months, once every three years, even once a decade.
Almost half of U.S. pregnancies are unintended, due to confusion and uncertainty of the options available. Vast majority of adults are sexually active and are in a fog about modern contraception. They are unable to make a reasonable choice.
Surprisingly, today the nation’s leading form of birth control is sterilisation, vasectomy for men and tube-tying for women.
Indeed, in a recent survey, the campaign found 42 percent of unmarried 18- to 29-year-olds said they knew little about birth control pills and two-thirds knew little about even more effective long-lasting contraceptives. A third said, though they believe there are contraceptives available for their personal needs but they don’t know which one.
A novel website — www.bedsider.org — offers frank answers for all those questions you might be embarrassed to ask.
Consider that half of girls are sexually active by age 17, and that menopause hits around 50. To avoid an unplanned pregnancy, the average American woman will have to use contraception for some decades.
When it comes to reversible contraception, the pill is No. 1, highly effective, if you take it correctly although missing doses raises the risk of pregnancy. The pill can bring other benefits as well. Long-term use lowers the risk of ovarian cancer; some types cut menstrual cramps or help clear acne.
The contraceptives are less risky than getting pregnant. About 20 in 10,000 women who are pregnant or have just given birth experience a blood clot.
When it comes to reliability, the most effective contraceptives may be two so-called long-acting products many women haven’t heard of:
- The IUD, a little T-shaped device that sits in the uterus to block sperm.
- An implant called Implanon, a matchstick-sized hormone-emitting rod implanted in the arm.
Only a fraction of U.S. women use long-acting contraceptives, 5.6 percent, according to the latest government data. In parts of Europe, they’re much more popular, partly, because of the up-front cost, which can reach $500 or $600 unless your insurance covers it. Partly, it’s a long-outdated belief that IUDs aren’t for young women. Use of long-lasting contraceptives is inching up — and new recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists last summer assured to give them more of a boost. Most women are candidates for IUDs or the implant, and that broader use could cut the nation’s high rate of unplanned pregnancies.
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