According to scientists, birth control pills are effective only if taken properly

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According to scientists, birth control pills are effective only if taken properly

Although we are in the 21st century, there are still many women who do not really know much about contraceptive methods.

There are many ways to prevent from getting pregnant and aside of the pills and the condoms; women seem not to know that on the market there are many other contraceptive methods they can use. Among the safest ways of contraception there are the IUDs and the implantable contraceptives. For most women, there two terms ring no bell. Let’s see what an IUD is. Also known as Intrauterine Device, this is an object placed in the uterus in order to prevent an undesired pregnancy. There are about 10 types of IUDs in the world and there is also one hormonal device among them, called Mirena. In what concerns the implantable contraceptives, there are two very famous ones: the Implanon and the Norplant. The first was first made by Oreganon International and it consists of a single-rod long active reversible hormonal contraceptive which is implanted under the skin of a woman’s upper arm. The benefits consist of long term contraception, but as with anything else, there are also some downsides to this way of contraception: it may cause gain weight and also some irregular or prolonged bleeding. The second, the Norplant, was developed by the Population Council and the original Norplant consisted of six little silicon capsules, filled with 36 mg of a progestin used in most birth control pills, implanted in a woman’s upper arm. This way of contraception lasts for 5 years and there has been no sign of weight gain during the period in which this method was used.

Mirena IUD

Well, according to a new study, it seems that women should rely more on these two methods of contraception, even though they are not so popular. “IUDs and implants should be considered first-line contraceptives for a majority of women,” says Eve Espey, MD, MPH, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Still, given that most of the women who have heard of the two methods of contraception think more about the side effects (like intrauterine infection), the IUDs and the implantable contraceptives were used only by 6 percent of the women in the United States of America between 2006 and 2008. As you can imagine, condoms and birth control pills are the most commonly used methods of contraceptive. However, Espey said that women should be recommended to use IUDs more often, because they are way more effective than pills or condoms, when it comes to preventing an undesired pregnancy. Still, what women must not beforehand is that these two methods do not protect them against the sexually transmitted diseases, like condoms do.

Implanted contraceptives

But, given that most pregnancies occur because women do not really know how to use the contraceptive methods; the researchers involved in the study said that this is the main reason for which women should use IUDs more as a contraceptive methods. IUDs do not fail when it comes to preventing a pregnancy. According to Espey, both IUDs available on the United States market (ParaGard IUD, which is made out of copper and it is effective for 10 years and Mirena, which is effective for only 5 years) prevent the fertilized egg to attach to the uterine wall and they have tremendous safety records and no patient has complained yet about them. Another doctor who thinks that IUDs are not used as much as they ought to is Steven Goldstein, MD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City. Goldstein said that IUDs and implantable contraceptives are more effective because they do not require patient compliance. However, he went on saying that if birth control pills were used properly, they would be more effective than IUDs. “IUDs have gotten bad rap and they don’t deserve it, and for the right women at the right time, they are a godsend,” he commented. Furthermore, Goldstein went on explaining that IUDs are very effective for women who have already had a child. Although is it effective in childless women, it is easier to insert an IUD in a woman’s uterus after it expanded after the pregnancy. Furthermore, IUDs are also recommended more for women who are in a monogamous relationship, because it cannot prevent STDs, but rather that little device can help spread the disease into a woman’s body. According to Goldstein, the secret of great contraception is matching a woman with her right contraceptive method. Contraceptives are not one-size-fits-it-all and that is the main reason for which scientists should develop individualized contraceptive methods.

The bottom line is that if you want to prevent from getting pregnant you should see your gynecologist and let him find more things about you, in order for him to let you know what the best contraceptive method for you is. According to the researchers involved in this particular study, it is clear that for women who are in a monogamous relationship and have already had a child, the IUD is the best way to go. For the others, condoms and birth control pills still work if they are used properly.