Stopping Unwanted Pregnancies — Birth Control

It seems there is a good deal of shouting about whether or not a woman should have the option of having an abortion or not. Many states, such as Alabama and Georgia, have basically outlawed abortions, even in the case of incest. That seems just a little overwrought.

Still, the best way to avoid needing to have an abortion…ever…is to use effective birth control methods. That way you are in control of your body. If you don’t want to get pregnant, don’t get pregnant. It’s really that simple, and anyone who makes claims about difficulty or expense is just making an excuse to be lazy. And to get pregnant accidentally. As a strong woman, you need to be in charge of your body, and birth control is part of that.

At Women’s Health Medical Group, providing various contraception options is a big part of what we do for our patients. Here’s a brief overview of the different types of birth control. Some are much, much, much more effective than others. Did you understand that? Options such as “natural methods” really aren’t birth control, but are gambling that you won’t get pregnant. Smart, strong women like you need to be in charge.

What kinds of birth control are there?

At Women’s Health Medical Group we offer all birth control options. Well, not natural options… Birth control can basically be broken down into the method of contraception. There are five basic categories:

• Hormonal methods — These options use hormones to trick the body into believing it is pregnant so that it doesn’t release an egg for fertilization. The pill and the patch are the most well known options here, but implants are becoming more popular.
• Barrier methods — These methods could be considered more “old school.” They use either physical or chemical barriers to block sperm from accessing the egg. Condoms, diaphragms, and sterilization fit in this category.
• Intrauterine devices — IUDs prevent pregnancy by changing the way sperm cells move, keeping them from getting to the egg. There are both copper and hormonal IUDs.
• Natural methods — Other than abstinence, natural methods such as withdrawal and fertility awareness methods are not reliable birth control options.
• Emergency contraception — Emergency contraception is a backup for regular birth control. These options hope to prevent pregnancy after having unprotected sex. The Plan B pill and copper IUDs are in this category. They are fallback options, but they are very effective.

In future blogs, we’ll probably delve into different areas of birth control/contraception. In the meantime, if you have any questions about any of your options, please call us at Women’s Health Medical Group, (817) 346-5336.