CONTRACEPTION AND MISCONCEPTIONS Deborah Mesce September 2016

© 2016 Population Reference Bureau. All rights reserved. Facts and Figures Pregnancy prevention traces back thousands of years — an Egyptian text that dates to 1550 BCE describes a formula of lint, honey and acacia leaves Today, more than 20 methods of safe and effective contraception have been developed Still, an estimated 222 million women worldwide do not want to become pregnant but are not using contraception

© 2016 Population Reference Bureau. All rights reserved. Side Effect or Misconception? Some contraceptive methods have uncomfortable side effects for some women, like irregular bleeding or nausea Some contraceptives are plagued by misconceptions, such as: o Contraceptive pills accumulate in the ovaries or uterus and form stones (UNTRUE)

© 2016 Population Reference Bureau. All rights reserved. Types of Contraception Barrier methods Hormonal methods Intrauterine methods Emergency contraception Sterilization

© 2016 Population Reference Bureau. All rights reserved. Barrier Methods Male and Female Condoms o Only contraceptive method that can prevent spreading of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV o When used correctly, only 3 out of 100 women whose partners use male condoms will become pregnant o When used correctly, only 5 out of 100 women using a female condom will become pregnant.

© 2016 Population Reference Bureau. All rights reserved. Male condomFemale condom

© 2016 Population Reference Bureau. All rights reserved. Other Barrier Methods Diaphragm Cervical Cap

© 2016 Population Reference Bureau. All rights reserved. Other Barrier Methods Sponge Spermicides

© 2016 Population Reference Bureau. All rights reserved. Hormonal Methods Oral contraceptives (The Pill) o Is reversible, so woman can become pregnant after she stops taking the pill o Small percentage of women may experience delay in return of fertility o Some women experience side effects, like breast tenderness and nausea

© 2016 Population Reference Bureau. All rights reserved. Other Hormonal Methods Injectables o Most common is Depo-Provera, a progestin-only hormonal injected every 3 months o Some women have light or no monthly bleeding, but this is NOT a health risk o Depo-Provera does not cause infertility but after stopping, return to fertility takes average 4-10 months

© 2016 Population Reference Bureau. All rights reserved. Other Hormonal Methods  Implants Flexible rods or capsules containing hormone implanted under skin of upper arm  Patch  Vaginal Ring

© 2016 Population Reference Bureau. All rights reserved. Intrauterine Methods Intrauterine Device o Two types: One contains copper, one contains hormone, and both provide long-term protection o Remains in the uterus; contrary to misconception, it will NOT migrate to other parts of body

© 2016 Population Reference Bureau. All rights reserved. Emergency Contraception Pills (EC or morning-after pill) o Uses same hormones as birth control pills but in higher doses o Effective for up to five days after unprotected intercourse o If already pregnant, no evidence that use of EC will harm fetus

© 2016 Population Reference Bureau. All rights reserved. Sterilization Female sterilization o Permanently prevents pregnancy o 99%+ effective Male sterilization o Does NOT affect a man’s libido or sexual performance o It is NOT the same as castration