Categories: Pregnancy

Contraception – Pregnancy control methods

Why Contraception is important?

Contraception is necessary because some couples want to counsel about how to avoid conception. When a pregnancy is unplanned or mistimed both short-term and long- term consequences can result. This can be stressful for the couple.

There could be chances of a lack of knowledge about care during pregnancy. The child of such a pregnancy is at greater risk of low birth weight, dying in the first year, being abused, and not receiving sufficient resources for healthy development.

Some couples cannot be sure about contraception because they are uninformed or misinformed about the options. If so, you can seek counselling and be certain safer sex practices as well as contraceptive ones.  Many contraceptive options offer reliable pregnancy prevention, but only condoms provide protection against STIs.  Contraception  is an important concern if your relationship is not a monogamous one.

Individuals or couples should choose a contraceptive method carefully, considering the advantages, disadvantages, and side effects.

How to avoid unplanned or accidental pregnancy?

Reproductive life planning is all the decisions, which is very important for every individual or couple. You must make choices whether and when to have children, how many kids you have, and how they are spaced.

What important things you need to consider:

  • Status of your relationship
  • Your Personal values and future planning
  • Ability to use a method correctly
  • How the method will affect your sexual enjoyment
  • Your financial status

What is contraception?

It is the prevention of pregnancy by choice or purposely, while sexual activity. Nearly 50% of all pregnancies are not planned. Among adolescent women, approximately 80% of those who became pregnant did not intend to do so. Birth control measures basically reduce the chances of pregnancy.

Why you need to know about contraception?

It’s crucial to prevent unwanted pregnancy through counselling and education regarding family planning, contraception, and effective birth control. The decision of family planning is purposeful and conscious commitment. Contraception is about when you want to get pregnant or when to avoid pregnancy.

If you want to prevent pregnancy, there are also effective forms of birth control ways. Conception control methods can be used to avoid pregnancy as well as some types of methods can protect you from sexually transmitted diseases. But you should be sure which methods suit your lifestyle and best for you.

Your willingness is a must for contraception

You can use several different contraceptive methods at various stages throughout your fertile years. Before taking any step towards contraception it is important that your partner’s willingness must to use a particular birth control method. Those who use contraception can still be at risk for pregnancy if their choice of contraceptive method results in a method that is not used correctly. 

Why you do need to know about contraception?

Plan a consultation with your doctor for appropriate instruction about how to use a contraceptive method, when to use a backup method, and when to use emergency contraception (EC) can decrease the risk of unintended pregnancy that will satisfy your personal, social, cultural, and interpersonal needs.

In addition, many contraceptive methods have health promotion effects. Barrier methods such as the male condom offer some protection from acquiring STIs, and oral contraceptives lower the incidence of ovarian and endometrial cancer.

What additional help you can get from?

The Community centers and the family planning centers offer information about contraceptive education. These centers advise you about the optimal contraceptive should be safe, easily available, acceptable, cost-effective and simple to use.

In most instances, pregnancy would be more dangerous to the woman with medical problems than a particular contraceptive method. It is essential for the fertile family to have knowledge about the effectiveness of contraceptive methods if you are enough to afford them and how convenient it is for you.

Other important factors to know about contraception

  • The duration of action of the method you have chosen
  • Reversibility of method of contraception
  • Time of return to fertility
  • Effects on uterine bleeding patterns, side effects, adverse events
  • Health promotion effects of methods especially the effect of the method on the transmission of sexually transmitted disease (STIs)
  • If you have any medical contraindications for use

Apart from the natural methods, there are common and convenient methods you can use the barrier methods and natural family planning. Examples:

  • Condoms
  • Diaphragms
  • Cervical caps
  • Spermicides
  • Withdrawal method
  • Natural methods

But it depends on the way you used them it varies from user to user and the effectiveness also depends on the correct application. Moreover, the pregnancies that are too early and too many and too frequent, it can be prevented by the correct use and knowledge of contraception methods.

Pregnancy control barrier methods

There are many ways to avoid pregnancy. A woman has a choice of many methods of contraception, which will prevent pregnancy, including (in order of least to most effective) and most popular types:

1. The condoms

A condom is the only form of contraception that protects against most STIs (sexually transmitted disease) as well as preventing pregnancy. You can use this method of contraception when you need it. It is safe and hormone-free and you can carry it with you anywhere. This is available in male and female forms in the market.

How to use them?

Condoms for male you just need to roll it into an erect penis. It acts as a physical barrier during intercourse. Moreover, it prevents sexual secretions and fluids from passing between people during sex. This is a very common method of contraception.

2.Female condoms

A female condom is a rare form of contraception use by females. Before sex, a female can place it into her vagina. As per some researches, this method is quite not as effective as compared to the male condom. If you want to go for that method you have to practice it before using it. Your health care provider or the family care person can teach how to use them. But most females feel inconvenient to use them.

Pros and cons of Condom method                     

Pros include: It’s the best protection against STIs; can be used on-demand and free from any kind of hormone. It is Safe and No side effects. Readily available.

Cons include: safe but still not a sure method of contraception. Because it can tear or come off during sex if not used properly. Some people are allergic to latex condoms. So it is better to know the condoms before using them.

3.Spermicides

It reduces the mobility of the sperm. Even when you use a barrier method still you must reapply spermicide for each extra act of intercourse.

4.Other methods

  • Diaphragm or cervical cap
  • Diaphragm with spermicide
  • Condom with spermicide
  • Intrauterine device (IUD)
  • Sterilization (either a man or woman)
  • Avoiding sex

5.Coitus interrupts (withdrawal method)

This method of pregnancy control involves withdrawing the penis before ejaculation during intercourse. While this method is not that useful but it can be good for those couples who do not have any other option to stop pregnancy. But its effectiveness depends on the male’s ability to withdraw before ejaculation. Then only it can be effective in the same way as a barrier method of contraception. But it does not protect against HIV or STIs infections.

More Interesting Stuff you like to Know :

Hormonal contraceptives & IUD– methods to avoid pregnancy?

Planned Parenthood and contraception

Birth control methods after the childbirth

I am experienced health professional (B.Sc. Nursing, P.GD Nursing). I am passionate to provide valuable information about  Maternal and child Health. My goal is to provide the right  and trustworthy information about pregnancy and baby care.

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