Choosing the right contraceptives (2)

--- Continued from PART 1 ---

Here’s a list of some popular contraceptive methods along with their risks and benefits:

3. Intrauterine Devices (IUDs)

• Today’s IUDs are almost 98% effective, which makes them not all that far off being as good as the Pill. Intrauterine devices (IUDs) have remained quite popular during the 21st century, especially among women who have had babies. Most IUDs are now T shaped. They’re made of plastic and copper, sometimes with a little silver inside. They sit in your womb and prevent you from getting pregnant.
  
• They do this in three main ways – they prevent your partner’s sperm from getting through your womb and into your tubes, they alter the secretions (mucus) in your cervix, creating a further barrier for sperm and they affect your womb lining – making it less likely to ‘accept’ an egg. IUDs are not so easy to insert in young women who have not had children.
• Risk: After getting and IUD inserted the initial two or three periods may become heavier and longer and even painful. You might become anemic and prone to infection.
• Benefits: A safe method if suits you and you can chose how long you want it inside you. It generally comes in 3, 5 and 10 year validity pack from the date of insertion.
• Medical advice: young, sexually active women must be carefully screened for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) before having an IUD put in.
• Warning: Avoid intercourse for a week after you have got an IUD put in, as you would be risking infection by doing so!
  

4. Contraceptive Injections

• These injections contain hormones. When injected into a muscle (usually in the buttock), the medication keeps you from getting pregnant for a considerable period of time. Most jabs are for a period of two to three months.
• Risk: Heavy or infrequent periods, headache, weight gain, dizziness, weakness and tummy ache.
• Benefits: You don’t have to remember to keep on taking anything, which makes this method very useful for the many people who forget Pills!
• Medical advice: Not suitable for women who are already suffering from undiagnosed abnormal vaginal bleeding, migraine or any hormonal problem.
• Warning: Do remember to turn up for your next injection on time. Many of the pregnancies that occur in people who are ‘on the jab’ happen because somehow the injection isn’t taken on time.

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