14 Ways to Outsmart Sperm

HEA_BIRTHCONTROL01
Healthy Dose
14 Ways to
Outsmart Sperm
Picking the right birth control is as important as picking
the right partner—and almost as tricky. You choose
the guy; we’ll help you figure out the rest.
THE IUD
99%
effective
HOW IT WORKS: Your
gyno inserts an inch-long
T-shape device into your
uterus, helping to keep you
baby-free for three to 10
years. Plastic ones pump
out hormones that help
prevent egg implantation
by thinning uterine walls;
the metal in copper ones
naturally nukes sperm.
By Kristen Dold
Soap opera villains with ulterior motives can stop reading. Everyone else, listen up:
There’s a lot you can do to thwart accidental pregnancies—they’re usually the result of
birth-control cluelessness or carelessness. According to the Guttmacher Institute, each
year more than half of pregnancies among American women are unplanned, primarily
because the women did not use contraception properly or forgot to use it at all. Plus,
“some doctors are biased about which method is best,” says Vanessa Cullins, M.D., vice
president for external medical affairs at
Planned Parenthood Federation of
America. Here, options for keeping your
oven bun-free until you’re ready.
91
%
Synthetic forms of
progesterone (progestin)
and estrogen prevent
ovulation. If an egg is
released, thickened cervical
mucus blocks his swimmers.
v
RX
94%
effective
KEY:
90
considered as effective in
women who have already given
birth; their vaginal muscles may
not be strong enough
to hold it in place.
HOW IT WORKS: The
squashy disk-shaped device is
inserted into the vagina and
releases spermicide.
$
Every three months your
gyno injects you with a
dose of progestin to block
ovulation. Many women
stop having their period
altogether (uh-mazing!).
WARNING: The shot
has been linked to a loss
of bone density (which
can lead to osteoporosis),
so the FDA recommends
that you don’t stay on
it longer than two years.
NEED TO KNOW: It
can take up to a year to
get preggo after you cease
the injections, so consider
skipping it if kids are
in your near-future plans.
WARNING: In a word:
messy. You have to soak it in
water before inserting it, and
it should stay in for six hours
after sex—so it may fall apart
when you take it out.
pill must be taken at the
same time every day; others
have a few hours’ leeway.
v
NEED TO KNOW: It’s not
effective
NEED TO KNOW: The mini
RX
HOW IT WORKS:
88 %
levels of mojo-pumping
testosterone, so your libido
may suffer. Trading in
your pack for a new formula
(there are dozens of
hormone combos) can help.
v
$
RX
v
RX
= Prescription
= Hormonal
W O M E N S H E A LT H M A G . C O M
/
WH0614_HEA_BirthControl_layoutSHIPPED [P].indd 90
= Barrier
$$$
THE SHOT
THE SPONGE
WARNING: The Pill alters
NEED TO KNOW:
Fears that the IUD causes
pelvic inflammatory
disease are generally
overblown; numerous
studies vouch
for its safety.
effective
HOW IT WORKS:
an existing case of
chlamydia or gonorrhea, so
expect an STD test before
getting the go-ahead.
$ = $10–$100
$
$ $ = $100–$400 $ $ $ = $400–$1,000 $ $ $ $ = $1,000+
THOMAS MACDONALD AND MITCH MANDEL /RODALE IMAGES (STILLS)
THE
PILL
WARNING: It can worsen
June 2014
4/18/14 5:18 PM
91
HEA_BIRTHCONTROL02
THE
PATCH
STERILIZATION
99
%
effective
Healthy Dose
%
effective
HOW IT WORKS: Your
fallopian tubes or his
vas deferens (tubes that
carry semen from the
testicles to the penis) are
cut or blocked, so sperm
and egg can’t hook up.
WARNING: Reversals can
cost thousands (and aren’t
guaranteed to work), so
you should be 100 percent
sure about your decision.
HOW IT WORKS: The
adhesive attaches to your
butt, stomach, or upper
arm for three weeks (not
the week of your period)
and releases anti-ovulation
hormones.
NEED TO KNOW: If he
gets the snip, it’s considered
less complicated than tubal
ligation. You’d require surgery
and anesthesia; vasectomy
is generally a quick doctor’s
office procedure, comparable
to an IUD insertion.
$ $– $ $ $
WARNING: Some
experience skin irritation,
and the patch can get that
dingy, old-bandage look.
Users have a slightly
higher risk for blood clots,
but they’re still very rare.
NEED TO KNOW: If the
adhesive starts to peel off,
slap on a new one ASAP—it
needs to be completely
secure to work properly.
v
RX
$
The News
About Plan B
When a condom
breaks, or a pill is
missed, or BC is
skipped altogether,
here’s what to know
about the morningafter pill (including
the new generic
version).
1) It’s most effective
(95 percent) in the
first 24 hours. Doctors
still recommend it
up to 72 hours after
sex, but effectiveness
gradually decreases.
Consider keeping it at
home so you can take
it in an emergency.
2) You may feel
sick after taking it.
Side effects can
include nausea,
vomiting, headaches,
and lower belly pain.
3) Don’t use it as BC.
There are no known
reports of serious
complications linked
with repeated use, but
the stuff isn’t nearly as
practical as, say, taking
your pill every day for
preventing pregnancy.
THE RING
91 %
effective
a month you insert a
flexible, two-inch ring into
your vajayjay (pushing it
in as you would a tampon),
where it releases the
same hormones as the Pill.
Take it out for the week
you have your period, then
swap it for a new one.
WARNING: It’s been
associated with a slightly
greater risk for blood
clots, possibly because it’s
absorbed directly into the
CONDOMS
(FEMALE AND MALE)
bloodstream instead
of passing through your
digestive system first. But
most docs say the increased
risk is negligible.
79–82 %
effective
NEED TO KNOW: There’s
HOW IT WORKS: A
a small chance it can be
pushed out of place by
his vigorous thrusts, but it
should still provide
protection if you push it
back into place within four
to six hours.
v
sheath (synthetic rubber
for the female, usually latex
for the male) goes either
over his penis or into your
vagina, blocking sperm
as well as protecting against
STDs (it’s the only form of
BC that does).
$
RX
looks kinda funny (one
end hangs out of your
lady parts).
NEED TO KNOW: No
matter who wears it, the
lessening of sensation can
be a deterrent.
$
WARNING: Male condoms
can break (panic!) or come
loose; the female version
KEY:
92
v
RX
= Prescription
= Hormonal
W O M E N S H E A LT H M A G . C O M
/
WH0614_HEA_BirthControl_layoutSHIPPED [P].indd 92
= Barrier
$ = $10–$100
$ $ = $100–$400 $ $ $ = $400–$1,000 $ $ $ $ = $1000+
HENRY STEADMAN/GET T Y IMAGES (SCALPEL)
HOW IT WORKS: Once
June 2014
4/18/14 11:21 PM
HEA_BIRTHCONTROL03
Healthy Dose
THE
DIAPHRAGM
88
%
effective
HOW IT WORKS: A
rubber dome sits on top of
the cervix. Add a generous
dollop of spermicide and
you create a no-entry
point for his
swimmers.
can pop it in up to six
hours before sex, and
you have to leave it in for
six hours after the deed.
If you get busy more
than once while it’s in,
reapply spermicide (and
give him a high five!).
$
RX
You’ll have to
get fitted for
the right
size, and
they can be
tricky to
remove at
first, until
you practice.
You’ll also
have to check
for holes regularly.
99
%
effective
HOW IT WORKS: A
plastic, matchstick-size
rod is inserted under
the skin in your arm and
releases progestin for
up to three years.
NATURAL
FAMILY
PLANNING
%
HOW IT WORKS: No sex
WARNING: You need
an extremely regular cycle
for it to be effective.
NEED TO KNOW:
Ovulation occurs midway
through your cycle. Cervical
mucus becomes clear and
slippery right before you
ovulate (a sign you’re
fertile!); right after ovulation
your body temp rises about
half a degree to a degree.
NEED TO KNOW:
v
94
= Prescription
users are to take
emergency contraception
Twenty-one Percentage
of women who became
accidentally pregnant
using this method
SIXTY
Percentage
of women
ages 15 to 44 who have
used pull-out-and-pray
CERVICAL CAP
88 %
WARNING: The cap is a
$$$
no-go during your period,
and there’s a chance it can
be dislodged during sex.
NEED TO KNOW: The
opening to the cervix
stretches during labor and
delivery, so the cap is only
about 71 percent effective for
women who have given birth.
of obstetrics and gynecology at the
M.D., of Ottenheimer Health in New York City
Q: Do antibiotics make the Pill
ineffective?
There’s only one (called Rifampin)
that has proven to interfere with
birth control, and it’s used for some
uncommon conditions, not your
typical infections.
Q: I had a bug and puked a few
hours after taking a dose—do I
count it as a missed pill?
Anytime you can’t keep fluids down,
there’s a risk that your meds aren’t
v
RX
more
7.5 Percentage
likely withdrawal
spermicide-filled silicone cup
covers the cervix, so his
sperm can’t reach your eggs.
RX
Sources: Petra Casey, M.D., associate professor
Mayo Clinic; gynecologist Deborah Ottenheimer,
KEY:
A growing number
of women are using
the withdrawal
method, though
science has confirmed
(duh!) it doesn’t
work effectively.
Here, the stats:
HOW IT WORKS: A
percent of women have
irregular bleeding or
spotting their first year.
On the Pill
A Very Risky
Business
effective
There’s very little lag
time between removal
and your ability to
get pregnant.
WARNING: About 80
Eighty-two
percent of
women ages
15 to 44 pop the
Pill at some
point, but many
lack facts about
the tiny tablets.
Gynecologist
Angela
Chaudhari, M.D.,
has the answers.
effective
at all near ovulation, which
you track via your body
temperature or by getting
familiar with the consistency
of your cervical mucus.
WARNING:
THE
IMPLANT
76
NEED TO KNOW: You
= Hormonal
W O M E N S H E A LT H M A G . C O M
/
WH0614_HEA_BirthControl_layoutSHIPPED [P].indd 94
= Barrier
being completely absorbed. Take
another pill, or use backup until the
start of your next pack.
Q: Can long-term use affect
my fertility?
There’s no proof that it hurts your
chances of becoming pregnant
down the road. A large study of
women who quit the Pill after using
it for an average of seven years
found that 21 percent were pregnant
in one month.
$ = $10–$100
RX
$
Q: Doesn’t it increase my risk
for breast cancer?
Slightly. Breast cancer is estrogenand progestin-sensitive, meaning
the hormones could cause cancer
to grow, but the research isn’t
definitive. Most docs agree the
benefits of the Pill outweigh the
small risks, since it can protect you
from ovarian cancer (women on
the Pill for 10 to 15 years reduce their
risk by half!) and endometriosis. Q
$ $ = $100–$400 $ $ $ = $400–$1,000 $ $ $ $ = $1,000+
June 2014
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