If you are sexually active and avoiding pregnancy simultaneously, birth control can help you stay on the safe side. Birth control methods vary, but the two main categories include hormonal and non-hormonal contraceptives. When choosing a birth control method, you must consider different variables, including cost, efficacy, side effects, privacy concerns, and convenience. Dr. Pamela Snook can help you choose an effective contraceptive that does not cause serious side effects. Below are the different types of hormonal birth control that your doctor may recommend.
Implant
The implant is a narrow road that contains progestin hormone and can prevent pregnancy for up to three years. It is one of the most effective and convenient methods of birth control. If you decide to get pregnant, your doctor can remove the implant. The good news is that most women do not have to wait for so long because fertility rapidly returns after removing the rod.
Inserting the implants is a straightforward process that takes place at your doctor’s office. You may feel a sharp sting as the doctor inserts the implant, and you may experience mild bruising afterward. Sometimes you may need to use backup birth control such as condoms for at least seven days after getting the implant. It depends on when during your menstrual cycle you got the implant.
Birth control pills
Pills are oral contraceptives that can have estrogen or a combination of progestin and estrogen. The combined pill is the most common one, and it reduces your risk of pregnancy in several ways. For example, the pill thickens your cervical mucus, inhibiting sperm penetration. It also prevents ovulation and keeps your uterus lining thin. Besides preventing pregnancy, you can benefit from the pill in several ways.
Women who use the pill have reported a reduction in menstrual cramps and acne. It also lowers your risk of iron-deficiency anemia and cancers of the ovary and uterine lining. Birth control pills are a high form of contraception when you take them properly. However, a significant downside of the pill is that you have to take it every day to maximize its efficacy. You risk pregnancy if you miss a pill or forget to restart after your periods. Expect side effects of the pill include irregular bleeding during the early months of using this form of contraceptive. Other possible side effects include breast tenderness, nausea, and mood changes which improve without treatment after approximately three months.
Vaginal ring
A vaginal ring is a flexible round plastic containing progestin and estrogen hormones like the combined pill. It reduces your risk of pregnancy in the same way as oral contraceptives. Your doctor can help you insert the ring and may not even realize its presence. You will need to have the ring inside for three weeks and remove it on the fourth week, when you may bleed.
Depending on the ring you use, you can re-use or replace it. The side effects of the vaginal ring are similar to those of the pill, including nausea, irregular bleeding, bloating, and breast tenderness.
If you need to learn more about birth control, book a consultation with your doctor at Contemporary Women’s Care.
