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Alternatives to the Pill
Let’s face it… Birth control pills are extremely convenient and virtually worry free - as long as there are no missed doses. As a contraceptive method, they’re about 98 – 99% effective
But here’s the downside: If you want to avoid continuous exposure to the poisonous effects of the Pill, you’ll have to get off of it. Period.
However, stopping the Pill means you’ll have to come up with alternative methods of contraception. Despite their danger, BCP’s (Birth Control Pills) were extremely convenient and effective at worry-free birth control.
Getting off of BCP’s presents new challenges for women who want to avoid pregnancy. But there are alternatives. The most common ones are:
Condoms
Perhaps the next best alternative to the Pill is the male condom. They are extremely effective and safe, but many men object to long term use because of the decreased sensitivity. They’re also to some degree inconvenient. Nevertheless, they’re probably the best choice on this list.
Sponge
Next is the cervical sponge. The sponge is a convenient contraceptive that overcomes the natural disadvantage of other vaginal contraceptive methods: Lack of sexual spontaneity.
Infused with spermicide (sperm killing agents), sponges add a degree of convenience since they can be worn for 24 hours at a time. This allows for as many acts of intercourse as desired within that period, without the need for additional spermicide. You can get these in any pharmacy, and they don’t require a doctor’s visit or prescription.
Diaphragm
The diaphragm is a soft flexible rubber cup about 2½ inches across. A woman fills it with spermicide and inserts into the vagina over the cervix. It can be inserted up to two hours prior to sex.
It is relatively effective at about 86 – 94% of the time for contraception, but is very inconvenient in terms of spontaneity and quite messy. It also requires a doctor visit for fitting.
Cervical Cap
This barrier method is fairly similar in concept to the sponge and diaphragm in that uses a rubber cup that fits snugly over the cervix and held in place by suction. Spermicide is also used in the cup.
Because this can be inserted up to 48 hours before sex, it allows for considerable spontaneity and can stay in place for multiple acts of intercourse. It can be difficult to insert or remove and sometimes can be dislodged during sex. This causes a wide range of contraception effectiveness, from 69 – 91%.
A doctor visit and prescription are required, and proper fit is very important.
Intra-Uterine Device (IUD)
The IUD is the most popular form of birth control employed by women on the planet. In China alone, nearly 200 million women use IUD’s.
This is a long term method for birth control. An IUD is a device implanted by a doctor that can stay in place for up to 10 – 12 years. The doctor actually sutures or sews it to the uterus. It’s sometimes called a coil because of its shape.
There are two types of IUD’s: Those that use synthetic hormones and those that do not. IUD’s that use synthetic hormones will have a side effects similar to birth control pills and are not recommended.
IUD’s that don’t use hormones are effective and relatively safe. It is mainly a copper coil (or with some brands a nickel coil) that works by a creating a local irritation/inflammation of the uterine lining, preventing implantation of the egg. With a 99% contraception success rate, it rivals the Pill in effectiveness.
The problem with IUD’s are two-fold: The constant irritation of the uterine lining can cause heavier and more painful periods. Some women experience allergic reactions to the copper (or nickel) in IUD’s. There’s also an increased risk of uterine infection which can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, an infection of the fallopian tubes leading up to the ovaries.
Although the rate of pregnancy is extremely low, if a woman does get pregnant with an IUD in place, there is a slightly higher rate of ectopic pregnancy (the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes) and a higher rate of miscarriage.
Female Condom
This is a clever device. The female condom is a soft, loose polyurethane pouch that fits inside the vagina. There are large rings that stay outside the vulva. It’s basically a barrier device that prevents semen and sperm from entering a woman’s body.
It can be inserted up to 8 hours before sex and can be used with any lubricant, which is an improvement over male condoms which can’t be used with an oil-based lotions. But the female condom does require a lot of lubricant.
It’s also bulky and makes noise during movement. The outer ring may also cause some female soreness. However, with practice this method can be very easy to use. Males usually report no loss in sensation in comparison to male condoms.
Effectiveness at contraception ranges from 79 – 95%.
Spermicidal Foam
Spermicides are chemicals, usually Nonoxynol-9, that kill sperm. These can be highly effective - particularly when used in conjunction with condoms, the cervical cap or diaphragm. For the moment, we’ll discuss using spermicidal foam by itself. The contraception rate is a little lower for this method, ranging from 71% - 82%.
Spermicides come in a variety of forms, including cream, gel, suppositories or film. In theory, it can be inserted up to one hour before intercourse. However, the sooner the foam is inserted prior to intercourse, the more effective it is.
Foams are easy to use, easy to buy and easily inserted. Unlike the vaginal barriers, there are few worries about insertion or skill in placement.
Nevertheless, they are generally quite inconvenient, being both messy and interrupting spontaneity. An additional minor problem is that it can also irritate the vagina as well as the man’s urethra.
Calendar Method
As long as a woman’s monthly cycle is regular and predictable AND as long as both partners have a good understanding of the cycle, this can be a safe and chemical-free method of birth control. However, many children have been born to parents practicing an exemplary calendar method.
Some add-on techniques are available in pharmacies, including basal temperature testing and urine testing which can improve the predictability of ovulation - thus signaling the times to avoid having intercourse. During times of ovulation, alternate contraception methods must be used - and this is where many couples make mistakes.
Employing the calendar method with any other contraceptive techniques (such as contraceptive foam) certainly further reduces the chances for pregnancy.
Basically, a woman’s menstrual cycle usually runs 28 – 30 days. It is vitally important to get the numbering system correct, because everything is based on the proper day sequence. Many times, particularly since the advent of birth control pills and their dispensers, there is a lot of confusion over just what is the first day of the cycle.
The official first day of the cycle (Day One) is the first day of bleeding (menses) from your period. So when is ovulation? This is the point at which the egg (or ovum) is released by the ovary and begins to travel down the fallopian tube on it’s way towards the uterus.
A good rule of thumb is that ovulation is at the halfway point of the cycle. For example, if your cycle normally runs 28 days, then expect ovulation on day 14. If your cycle is 30 days, then your ovulation should be day 15.
However, the time of ovulation does vary, even in the same woman from month to month, as does the number of days in the cycle. Ovulation can occur one or two days early or late. When you do ovulate, the egg is available for fertilization for a 12 hour period. Don’t forget that sperm can survive inside the vagina for up to 48 hours.
With these figures in mind, then the “unsafe” period can run from day 10 to day 16 for a 28 day cycle and from day 11 to day 17 for a 30 day cycle.
Withdrawal
This method has been around since the beginning of humanity. Some would say this is not a valid method of contraception. But in skilled hands, it is effective. The ability of the man is paramount here in terms of timing of ejaculation.
There are two legitimate concerns with this method, even in the face of perfect timing by the man. The first is a slight drippage of semen may occur in some men just prior to ejaculation. The second is that sperm must not be allowed to get near the entrance of the vagina. Careful cleaning up needs to be done after ejaculation.
Abstinence
Theoretically, if practiced correctly this is the only 100% effective means of birth control. For most couples, this method simply doesn’t come into play.
Sterilization
This is a permanent solution to contraception. This involves some serious questioning of your life situation, desire for more children, marital state of affairs, and so on. Either partner can have a sterilization procedure.
This is not a risk-free choice. Minor surgery is involved, and like any surgical procedure bad outcomes can occur. The possibility of bleeding and infection are always present and these risks aren’t inconsequential. There are also the risks involved whenever one goes under anesthesia. Sterilization is expensive and often not covered by insurance.
For most people sterilization is not an option, and neither partner should be placed into a situation where there is pressure to consent to these procedures unwillingly. Many people (both men and women) have undergone the operation, then sought to reverse the process when their life situations had changed. However – reversal is difficult, and in some cases simply impossible. |
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