image by: Maggie Jones

HWN Suggests

The bitter Pill

The pain came without warning, seizing and releasing into an ache that lingered for hours like a bad guest. Last December was the apex of months of mounting discomfort, which began a year after I got a Mirena IUD, or intrauterine device, a small piece of plastic that sits in the uterus and prevents pregnancy by releasing a local dose of hormones. Coping was a matter of downing Aleve and sending my boyfriend texts like, “My entire body is a cramp,” while I waited for it to pass.

I switched from the Pill to an IUD at a time when many people were opting for this long-lasting form of birth control, which can be hormonal or non-hormonal and remains in the body anywhere from three to 12…

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It's also a decision that's about way more than just birth control: It's about sex and relationships and all the baggage that comes along with those topics.

A Smarter Way to Compare Birth Control Methods

Information on this stuff has always been out there. It's just hard to parse. Google "birth control" and your first four results will be ads.

Good News: Birth Control Has Become More Effective in Recent Years

For all the bad news surrounding the politics of reproductive health care these days, there’s been an awful lot of apolitical good news in the meantime. The abortion rate recently declined to its lowest level since Roe v. Wade. Unplanned pregnancies, though still making up almost half of all pregnancies in the United States, have plummeted. Teen births and pregnancies have fallen dramatically in recent years, too. In a totally unrelated development, it turns out birth control is working quite well these days as well.

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Misuse and failure of birth control are major contributors to the millions of unplanned pregnancies in the United States each year. When failure rates of contraceptives are mentioned, they usually refer to a given year of use. Less understood is that the risk of failure is compounded over time. The longer any method of contraception is used, the greater the probability of unplanned pregnancy.

How limiting women’s access to birth control and abortions hurts the economy

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Birth Control Methods

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Because of misconceptions about the health risks of different birth control methods, some health care providers discourage perimenopausal women (those transitioning toward menopause) in their 40s and 50s from using contraceptive methods, such as birth control pills, that they previously relied on in their 20s and 30s. The truth is that a healthy, nonsmoking woman can safely use almost any contraceptive method, including the pill, all the way through menopause.

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It is important to remember that in nearly all situations the use of a birth control method is safer than an unintended pregnancy. These CDC resources are invaluable guides for clinicians so we can be confident our contraceptive recommendations are based on the latest evidence. Both the MEC and the SPR are available free - of- charge with the option of downloading an APP for your device.

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Birth control has one great upside: no pregnancies! (Yes, it’s not a 100-percent guarantee, but it’s pretty darn reliable.) But in order to reap that benefit, you may also have to deal with extra pounds, depression, or other unpleasant side effects. While at times these are just mild irritations, for some women they can become so debilitating that they quit using their BC.

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What are the different types of contraception?

Not all contraceptive methods are appropriate for all situations, and the most appropriate method of birth control depends on a woman's overall health, age, frequency of sexual activity, number of sexual partners, desire to have children in the future, and family history of certain diseases.

What Birth Control Is Right For You?

There are many different options available to help prevent pregnancy. The most commonly known methods include condoms, birth control pills, and getting your tubes tied. However, several other choices are available. Each option has differences that can make it either the right or wrong choice for you.

What the US can learn from Ethiopia about birth control

Dr. Mengistu Asnake has spent the past 25 years working to increase contraceptive access for women in Ethiopia — and has seen a startling change in how women use birth control. In the early 2000s, the Ethiopian government began to train and employ thousands of women to do something incredibly important: deliver effective, modern birth control straight to women's doorsteps. The results, Asnake says, are astounding: Ethiopia's use of modern contraceptives has essentially tripled over a decade.

What to Consider Before Choosing Your Birth Control

All birth control methods have their strong and weak points, and making a decision about birth control is a highly individual decision. Just because your best friend or your doctor introduces you to a particular method doesn’t mean that it is the one that works the best in your life. I strongly believe that before you make a decision about what method you choose, you have all of the facts so you can make the most informed choice possible for you.

Where the Hell Is Birth Control for Men?

For years, headlines have promised birth control for cis men is just around the corner. The truth is more complicated.

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Young men still don’t want to talk about contraception – here’s why

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Resources

15 Intimate Photos Of Women In Bed With Their Birth Control

Deciding how to control one’s reproductive health involves a lot of factors: accessibility of said birth control, finances, convenience, menstrual cycle, how sensitive your body is to hormones and/or to latex... the list goes on. Finding the right birth control involves a whole lot of bodily trial and error.

BirthControl.com

BirthControl.com is an informational website, giving you all the facts about birth control methods available on the market today.

The 3 most promising new methods of male birth control, explained

A pill, a gel, and a nonsurgical vasectomy are making their way through clinical trials.

Bedsider

Find a method that's right for you.

BeforePlay.org

Sexual well-being. Safe sex. Sexuality. It’s all out from under the covers at Beforeplay.org, the hub for Colorado’s statewide effort to reduce unintended pregnancy and promote honest, open conversation about sexual health.

Contraception

The purpose of Contraception is to provide a medium for the rapid communication of advances and new knowledge in all areas of contraception. Manuscripts are received from researchers and clinicians in the following areas of research: chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, endocrinology, biology, the medical sciences, and demography.

Emergency Contraception Website

The Emergency Contraception Website is operated by the Office of Population Research at Princeton University and by the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. This website has no connection with any companies that manufacture or sell emergency contraceptives. Funding is provided by the Educational Foundation of America.

Power to Decide

Help us to start the conversation about birth control with your friends, your community, and decision makers.

Revolution Contraceptives

Revolution Contraceptives’ social mission is to empower men worldwide to better control their reproduction with a reliable, safe, cost-effective, and reversible contraceptive.

Upstream USA

Upstream is a nationally-recognized, fast-growing nonprofit working to expand contraceptive access for all.

Your Life

Know your options. Support our vision for a world where every pregnancy is wanted.

Advocates For Youth

Advocates for Youth works alongside thousands of young people here in the U.S. and around the globe as they fight for sexual health, rights and justice.

BBC

What do philosophy and religions say about contraception? Is it an issue of human rights? Is there ever a duty to use contraception?

CONRAD

CONRAD's overall goal is to improve reproductive health, especially in developing countries. Our main objective is to help develop safe, acceptable, affordable products and methods that provide contraception and/or prevent the sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS and other infections.

EngenderHealth

Across the globe, EngenderHealth has proven that even in resource-poor settings, family planning services can be safe, effective, and affordable. We have developed a number of technical publications related to Vasectomy, Female Sterilization and Reversible Methods.

Guttmacher Institute

Top resources for contraception...The Guttmacher Institute advances sexual and reproductive health worldwide through an interrelated program of social science research, public education and policy analysis.

International Planned Parenthood Federation

One of IPPF’s central commitments is to promote and to provide contraceptive services for all. Universal access to, and informed use of effective contraception is the cornerstone to good sexual and reproductive health

Nurx

Choose from the pill, patch, or ring.

Pandia Health

All birth control methods require a doctor visit for a prescription. With Pandia Health you can do this from the comfort of your home.

Planned Parenthood

Need birth control? It's here plus sexual and reproductive health care services such as family planning, gynecological care, STI/STD testing and treatment and more.

Population Council

The Population Council conducts research worldwide to improve policies, programs, and products in three areas: HIV and AIDS; poverty, gender, and youth; and reproductive health.

Population Services International

PSI has expanded the contraceptive methods in its portfolio from male condoms and oral contraceptives to include injectable contraceptives, intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUD), emergency contraception pills, implants, female condoms, voluntary sterilization, and fertility awareness methods such as the Standard Days Method using Cyclebeads®.

Society of Family Planning

The Society of Family Planning advances family planning research and education, providing evidence-based insight to improve clinical care in the areas of contraception and abortion.

Womenshealth.gov

There is no "best" method of birth control. Each method has its pros and cons. All women and men can have control over when, and if, they become parents. Making choices about birth control, or contraception, isn't easy. There are many things to think about. To get started, learn about birth control methods you or your partner can use to prevent pregnancy. You can also talk with your doctor about the choices.