A little while back, I wrote a piece discussing the myriad of condom designs, options and styles available to sexually-active individuals. Similarly, birth control is an umbrella term encompassing a multitude of hormonal and non-hormonal methods, that will help prevent pregnancy. Not every birth control option is right for every woman; just like not every condom is a good fit for every guy. The preferred and best method of birth control depends on an individual woman’s health and lifestyle. With the recent controversy over Yaz, women should be, now more than ever, an active and informed patient when it comes to deciding upon their birth control.

Unfortunately, Sarah Brown of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, relates the opposite is happening. “We have a whole generation now of young adults, the vast majority of whom are sexually active, who are in a fog about modern contraception,” according to Brown. “They don’t know enough to make a reasonable choice.” From my own personal experience of working with youth, many of the girls are unaware of what birth control they are on, let alone the potential side effects of said birth control.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy released a survey noting that 42% of unmarried 18- to 29-year-olds said they knew little about birth control pills and two-thirds knew little about even more effective long-lasting contraceptives. Furthermore, the survey discovered that individuals thought there is a good contraceptive option for their personal needs.

Before meeting with your doctor, I feel it is important to establish the intended purpose of using birth control. If you are looking for a more permanent form of birth control – perhaps someone who has had children and doesn’t desire more – consider a sterilization procedure. Or if you are a college student in her 20s, who plans on having children in her 30s, consider using a more long-term form of birth control like an Intrauterine Device (IUD) Also figure out what you feel is best for your life and lifestyle. If you easily forget appointments and have difficulty keeping track of various tasks, then perhaps using the pill – which typically requires taking a pill at the same time, every day – might not be a good choice for you. Also, if you are a smoker, carefully consider which birth control option you are taking, for smoking can increase a woman’s chance of developing blood clots. Have these conversations with your doctor and be actively vocal so that they might find the best birth control that works for you. Make your doctor, nurse practitioner, or clinician take the time to properly explain, in detail, the birth control they are recommending.

There is a great website – www.bedsider.org – that The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy released to guide confused teens on what is perhaps the best option for them. This interactive website outlines various birth control methods, their side effects, and nearby clinics where individuals can be prescribed birth control. My one pet peeve with the site is that they list “the pull out technique” as a viable form of birth control. Though, I guess one could classify “the pull out technique” as a form of birth control, I would refrain from labeling it as viable. Men, prior to ejaculation, release pre-ejaculate fluid. This release is an involuntary response as a result of sexual excitement; the fluid serves to neutralize some of the acidity of the vagina – which actually promotes the survival of sperm – as well as serve as a sexual lubricant. Pre-ejaculate fluid also contains trace levels of sperms, allowing it to not only get a female partner pregnant but also transport bacteria and viruses as well. Due to fact it is an involuntary response, it is almost impossible for a guy to truly control when the fluid comes out making the withdrawal method a poor choice in the prevention of pregnancy.

Have a good night! At the moment, I am watching the GB Packers painfully lose. 😦

Chris