What should we choose?
Our GPs and sexual health clinics can tailor our contraception to meet our health and cultural needs. If we have suffered from thrombosis and smoke for example, we may be offered the progestogen-only pill rather than the combined pill. Even though there is lots of research into all the contraceptives available, some myths prevail that could put us off taking them, which might result in unplanned pregnancies. Some of us worry that as some methods work so well in preventing pregnancy that they will continue to work after we have stopped taking them. But, all types of birth control are reversible so we don’t have to worry about long-term implications for our fertility, with sterilisation and hysterectomy thought of as the only permanent contraceptive methods.
Pregnancy and beyond
Most kinds of contraception are very reliable, but sometimes they do fail. This can result in us refusing to use birth control in case it damages a baby we could have while using contraception. Experts explain that hormones used to control ovulation wouldn’t harm a foetus, even an IUD is unlikely to harm a growing baby, but our doctors would recommend we have them removed if we fall pregnant to decrease miscarriage risks.
When we’re breastfeeding we may ovulate less, but we can still fall pregnant, making it important to still consider our contraception options at this time, with many choosing the progestogen-only pill. Another time we can get pregnant is when we’re menstruating, making birth control important wherever we are in our cycle. This is because ovulation doesn’t always occur at the time we think it will, putting us at risk of pregnancy.