Are you looking for what is the best form of contraception without side effects? There are many women’s opinions about the best forms of birth control without harm, so that we will learn in the article about effective method of birth control.
What is the best form of contraception without side effects?
There are many methods used in birth control and contraception, and many opinions about the best method, and the use of condoms is one of the one of the most effective form of birth control. as it is a non-hormonal method and prevents pregnancy by more than 98% as it works to prevent the arrival of animals. The sperm is transferred to the uterus during ovulation days without harm or any side effects other than other methods, and it can also be used on emergency days without concern.
It can also help prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STIs), an advantage not found in other methods.
Barrier methods used in family planning
These methods mechanically prevent sperm from reaching a woman’s uterus.
- Condom: It is a rubber sheath placed on the penis after an erection during intercourse. Semen containing sperm is prevented from entering a woman’s vagina after ejaculation. In addition to family planning, this method’s most crucial advantage is that it protects against sexually transmitted diseases. Tearing the condom during intercourse, noticing a hole, or removing it from the penis requires an additional method. The method has an 88% success rate when used alone.
- Diaphragm: A cap-like device that is inserted into the cervix before intercourse. Applying spermicide (a substance that kills sperm) to the cervix prevents sperm that can physically bypass the diaphragm from surviving. The advantage of this method is that it can be applied without any harm to the body and women whose menstrual bleeding continues to have sex with the diaphragm. The success rate when used alone is 82%.
- Spermicides: They are substances that can be in the form of a cream, suppository, or foam that are placed in the vagina before intercourse and prevent sperm from surviving. Since its effectiveness is not very high when used alone (79%), its use in combination with other barrier methods increases its effectiveness.
Does the contraceptive pill start working on the same day?
Contraceptive injections, patches
monthly needles
These medications, which contain estrogen and progesterone, have a high protection rate when taken regularly every month. The most significant advantage over pills is that they are easy to comply with for the patient, as this should be done monthly. Mistakes and forgetfulness do not occur when using these needles. It is recommended for use in the first seven days (preferably the first day) of menstruation. It is not recommended for nursing mothers as it reduces breast milk and its quality.
Quarterly needles
The 3-month injection, which is the most protective of the hormonal methods, contains only progesterone. It works on the principle of suppressing ovulation and preventing the passage of sperm by increasing the thickness of cervical secretions. The disadvantage of these drugs, which are given as an intramuscular injection, is that breakthrough bleeding is more common during use than other methods.
Implanted under the skin
A 40 mm long, 2 mm thick, a matchstick-like capsule containing progesterone is placed under the skin on the inner surface of the upper arm in the form of an implant. In the first 24 hours after the procedure, the level of progesterone in the blood reaches a level that prevents pregnancy.
In this method, which protects for about five years, the progesterone content in the capsule and the intrauterine layer becomes thinner, and pregnancy is prevented.
The most common problem with this method is irregular bleeding. After a while, the bleeding gradually decreases, and even after a period, there may be no menstrual bleeding. Women who want to use this method should be reminded this situation is unacceptable for some women.
It should be borne in mind that headache, nausea, increased acne, breast pain, and mood changes may occur due to elevated levels of progesterone in the blood.
Birth Correction
It protects a similar principle to birth control pills. There are three strips in a box. These tapes are attached to one arm, leg, and hip areas, each remaining for a week. Ovulation is prevented by the hormones they secrete into the blood from where they are attached. As with all hormonal methods, side effects most commonly occur as bleeding irregularities. There may be skin sensitivity where the patch sticks, so it is recommended to stick each patch in a different location. When the patch comes out, you should try to re-stick it; if it doesn’t stick, you should attach a new patch and keep it until the day it should stay, then it should be replaced with a new one. If the patch does not come into contact with the skin for more than 24 hours, a new box should be started, and an additional protection method should be applied for one week.
vaginal ring
The vaginal ring is a ring of 4 mm in diameter and 5.4 mm in diameter. It is a contraceptive containing estrogen and progesterone, as in pills. This ring placed in the vagina is removed after three weeks of use, and menstrual bleeding occurs in the week when the call is not used. This ring, which is very easy to put on, has a low hormone content, high efficiency, and breakthrough bleeding that is less common than pills. The most common problem in women who use the vaginal ring is increased vaginal discharge and infection. These vaginal rings are not yet available in our country.
Hormonal methods of family planning
Birth control pills (combined oral contraceptives):
It is based on the principle that pregnancy does not occur due to the suppression of the natural balance due to taking low doses of the female hormones (estrogen) and ovulation (progesterone) in the female body. For this method, which has a high protection rate of up to 99%, to be effective, the drugs must be used regularly every day.
One of the most significant advantages of birth control pills is that they prevent anemia by reducing the amount of menstrual bleeding. In some women, this decrease is so pronounced that menstrual bleeding may be spotty, like ground coffee, which is nothing to worry about.
Birth control pills reduce menstrual pain and the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer.
The most common side effect in the first period of use is nausea.
Taking medications right before bed makes this effect easier for women. The second most common side effect is sudden bleeding when using birth control pills. The vast majority of breakthrough bleeding occurs when the female hormone estrogen in the medication is present in doses lower than they should be. In this case, what should be done is not to stop the drug but to continue it. If the complaints do not decrease, it may be necessary to consult a doctor and switch to another drug. Some women may complain of being overweight. This, in turn, can be avoided by using low-dose pills. The pills should be taken simultaneously each day, whenever possible. When a prescription is forgotten one day, the forgotten medication should be taken as soon as it is remembered. Since the method’s effectiveness will decrease if the pill is forgotten two days in a row, it is necessary to use an additional protection method.
Before starting to use the pills, a pregnancy test must determine the state of pregnancy. There are many drugs on the market. Some of them contain 21 medicines. It is necessary to start the first pack during the first five days of menstruation (preferably the first day). After 21 days of taking the drug, no medication is taken for seven days, during which menstrual bleeding occurs. A new box is started after a 7-day drug-free period—medicines containing 28 tablets for continuous use. The last medication in the package does not have hormones; while taking these medicines, menstrual bleeding begins.
Who should not use birth control pills?
Those with breast cancer, blood clotting problems, and heart and liver patients should not use birth control pills. It should be used under control for those who breastfeed a baby under six months old, are smokers, have diabetes, high blood pressure, migraine, and depression.
What is IUD?
The spiral is considered one of the safest birth control methods by the World Health Organization today.
Thanks to the copper in its arms and body, it prevents sperm movement, reduces the ability of sperm to fertilize the egg, and, most importantly, it creates a foreign body reaction in the uterus and prevents pregnancy from adhering to the intrauterine layer.
This method, which can last up to 10 years, is safe to use because there is no room for user errors. Since a thin thread coming out from the bottom of the spiral is cut to a length that will remain in the cervix during insertion, it does not cause any problems during sexual intercourse, and when the spiral is desired to be removed, it can be easily removed by pulling from this thread.
The most common side effect of the spiral is that it increases the amount of menstrual bleeding and prolongs the menstrual period. A foreign body reaction against copper triggers this effect, and it cannot be determined beforehand in whom it may occur. Another disadvantage of the spiral is that it facilitates sexually transmitted diseases. If these diseases are not diagnosed early, they can cause adhesions in the tubes, problems in conceiving in the future, and ectopic pregnancy. For this reason, it is not recommended as the first choice method of contraception for women who have not given birth before, but it is an ideal method for breastfeeding women.
In its arms, it shows its effect by releasing 20 micrograms of the total 52 mg of progesterone hormone derivative it contains per day. This hormone level is sufficient to thin the uterus lining and prevent ovulation and pregnancy.
The most common problem with this method, which has approximately five years of protection, is menstrual irregularities seen in the first months of use. Over time, the amount of menstrual bleeding and the spotting between them decreases, and some women may not even have menstrual bleeding. For this reason, it can be used as the first choice in women with heavy menstrual bleeding and long-lasting anemia. Since it is a slightly thicker insertion device than the copper spiral, it will be less painful to insert, preferably when bleeding occurs.
Surgical Methods
Connecting the Tubes
In women, it is the process of connecting the tubes that carry the egg into the uterus. Since it is not recyclable, it is a suitable method for couples who do not want children in the future. Tubal ligation does not cause any physical, mental, or sexual changes. Its protection is close to 100%. In cesarean deliveries, this procedure, which can be performed simultaneously with the birth, can also be performed in a separate session, with a small incision, or with a secure method (laparoscopic).
Its protection is close to 100%. In women who want to get pregnant again, the tubes can be reconnected with microsurgery, but in vitro fertilization is widely used instead of such surgeries with a low chance of success.
Vasectomy is the process of permanently disrupting the passage of sperm cells from the testicles to the areas where they are stored in men by surgical methods. After this procedure, there is no change in the external appearance of the fluid discharged during ejaculation, but pregnancy does not occur because there are no sperm cells in the liquid.
In this method, which has close to 100% protection, it is challenging to return, as in women, and if there is a desire for children, sperm collection from the testicles and in vitro fertilization treatment come to the fore. The advantage of this method is that it can be performed in a short time with local anesthesia and its high protective rate.
Natural methods of family planning
Applying specific rules enables couples to prevent or create a pregnancy with fertility consciously. The World Health Organization defines natural family planning as planning pregnancy or contraception by observing typical signs and symptoms during the fertile and infertile periods of the menstrual cycle.
Basal body temperature method: after ovulation, the body temperature rises by 0.2 – 0.5 ° C under the influence of progesterone. The days after the body temperature has been recorded regularly every day and the body temperature remains above a certain level for three consecutive days is considered the safe period.
Calendar method: It is based on the assumption that ovulation will occur between the fourteenth and twenty-first days after the menstrual period in women who suffer from regular menstruation and do not engage in sexual intercourse on these days. The pearl index is 20%, with an 80% pass rate.
The method of mucus: During ovulation, cervical mucus increases in quantity, becomes thin, transparent, and elongates when taken between two fingers. This method is based on avoiding sexual intercourse on days when the structure and quantity of mucus indicate the period of ovulation.
Withdrawal method: During intercourse, during ejaculation, the man withdraws his penis from the woman’s vagina and ejaculates outside. This method is challenging to implement, and individuals must be experienced, determined, and psychologically prepared for it. Otherwise, success rates drop. The contraceptive success rate is 70-80%.
Breastfeeding: In the first six months after birth, if the mother breastfeeds her child at frequent intervals, not less than 60 minutes a day, and she has not had her period, then it is considered that ovulation has not yet begun. However, this is not a very reliable method because it does not mean that every non-menstruating woman does not ovulate.
Most women think breastfeeding prevents pregnancy, but all precautions must be taken for this period when menopause occurs and ovulation does not occur.
Dear mom, there are many different types of contraceptive methods; each type has drawbacks and benefits, and the choice of the best contraceptive method without harm depends on your medical and health condition and the opinion of the gynecologist is taken to determine the most suitable for you and which does not cause you harm, every woman is not like the other, What suits you may not suit others.
Are you looking for the best method of contraception without harm? Here is the article on the best safe contraceptive methods; choose the appropriate method for you after consulting your doctor.