8 Types Of Female Contraceptives To Use BESIDES Birth Control
Finding the right form of birth control is a huge pressure which is forced upon women from a young age, and you know what? We don’t talk about it enough! All of our bodies are unique and hence react differently to various forms of birth control, meaning that for some people it can be a real struggle to find the one that works well for them. The most common method of female contraception is the contraceptive pill, and if that doesn’t work for you, you’ve maybe resorted to trying various other pills to find one that fits. What we should really be educated on as females is the variety of other options out there BESIDES the birth control pill. Here are 8 types of hormonal and non-hormonal female contraceptives that you might not have considered as a replacement for the pill!
1.Track Your Fertility With An App
Nowadays you can download an app on your phone which will track your ovulation, therefore indicating when you can and cannot get pregnant. Natural Cycles, for example, is a downloadable app which costs about £40 a year and comes with a thermometer which you use every morning to check your temperature, thus determining whether it is a red or a green day (on red days you can’t have unprotected sex, on green days you can). On red days you will need to use condoms. but at least you’ll have peace of mind on the days your body isn’t ovulating!
2.Ask Your Doctor About Kyleena
Never heard of it? Well, considering it has 20 times less hormones than the pill, Kyleena is likely to become more and more popular! Kyleena is a kirby-grip sized device which, similar to the coil, is inserted inside the body where it releases a hormone which fights against the effects of sperm. The difference between Kyleena and other internal birth control devices is that it sits inside the womb, meaning that the hormones won’t be roaming free around your entire body. It’s 99% effective, just like the pill, except you don’t have to remember to taking it every morning, or worry about missing a day!
3.The Female Condom
I know what you’re thinking, why do we as women always have to do all the work? Is the male condom not enough? Let’s see. The female condom is pretty self-explanatory, it’s a pouch that is inserted into the vagina to prevent pregnancy and STI’s. The benefits are that they protect a wider area of the body than male condoms, don’t usually contain latex, nor do they use oil-based lubricants. They are 95% effective and can be purchased easily over the counter. It’s not necessarily more effective than the male condom, but could function well as a just-in-case option!
4.The Patch
The patch is a hormonal female contraceptive which is applied to the skin once a week for three weeks straight, changing it every 7 days, after which you have one week patch-free. The convenience of the patch is that it is very low maintenance, as you can do it yourself at home and don’t need to worry about changing it except for once a week. You should get your period as normal, with some saying that it can make your period lighter and shorter.
5.The NuvaRing
The NuvaRing, or vaginal ring, is another female contraceptive which you can insert yourself at home. It is a small plastic ring that you place inside your vagina for 21 days, releasing hormones oestrogen and progestogen to prevent pregnancy. The device is said to be 99% effective if used correctly, and unlike the pill, the NuvaRing is still effective after sickness and diarrhoea. During the 7 day ring-free break women have claimed to have had lighter and less painful bleeding too.
6.The Sponge
The contraceptive sponge is a small sponge containing spermicide, a substance which prevents male sperm from moving around your uterus and fertilising an egg. The sponge is soaked in water to release the spermicide, and then inserted into the vagina before sex. This method is non-hormonal and effective, much like condoms, except unlike a condom you shouldn’t be able to feel it during sex.
7.FemCap Contraceptive Cap
FemCap is considered to be a modern alternative to the traditional diaphragm, functioning by covering the cervix and not allowing sperm to enter. The device is said to be 92% effective, and unlike a diaphragm, the cap doesn’t need to be fitted by your doctor. It can be kept in for up to 48 hours and is completely reusable! It is easily removable, and you simply wash after use and re-insert when needed.
8.The Contraceptive Implant
This types of female contraceptives method is becoming increasingly popular among young women, a single procedure method which prevents pregnancy and last for up to three years. The implant is inserted into the upper arm and can be removed at any time, as well as being known to cause periods to become irregular and eventually stop altogether.
As you can see, there are so many new female contraceptives out there to try nowadays besides the birth control pill, with studies even being made into the launching of male contraceptives (about time), so, for the time being, which one’s right for you?
Which of these types of female contraceptives are you going to try? Let us know in the comments below.
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