Contraception involves taking action to prevent pregnancy. The basic facts about contraception can help clear up any misunderstandings about birth control, as well as provide new information on the topic. Basic facts about contraception are especially important for teenagers who are having intercourse, or planning to have intercourse and are not ready to be parents.
Facts
Contraception is a way to prevent the conception of a child. Conception can still occur with the use of a contraceptive, as no method of birth control is foolproof. Abstaining from sexual intercourse provides complete protection from getting a sexually transmitted disease, and condoms also protect against STDs. Contraception can be used after unprotected sex as an emergency measure to prevent pregnancy.
Consequences
An unwanted pregnancy can create many problems for all involved. A teen pregnancy is especially troublesome in that it can put an end to a pregnant teen's education, or put it on hold. It can also impose health risks for the mother and child, and it can create financial problems. Fortunately the use of a contraceptive can prevent this from happening.
Types of Contraception
Hormones are effective in preventing pregnancy. They can be taken in pill form, injected, implanted in the arm, released from a patch that is put on the skin or inserted into the vagina in a ring-type device. Condoms are slipped over the penis to prevent semen from entering the vagina. The diaphragm, or cervical cap, is inserted into the vagina to prevent semen from entering the cervix, and the IUD (intrauterine device) is put in the uterus by a doctor and stays there. Women can insert a spermicide into their vaginas to prevent pregnancy. Both women and men can be sterilized. Natural methods of contraception include abstinence, planned intercourse and pulling out before ejaculation.
Considerations
Except for total abstinence from intercourse via the vagina, no contraceptive method will guarantee an unwanted pregnancy, and no contraceptive method will guarantee protection from contracting a sexually transmitted disease. The condom may offer some protection, but condoms have been known to break during intercourse, and this can result in an STD and pregnancy. A visit to the doctor is necessary for proper fitting of diaphragm, and a cervical cap does not always fit correctly and can be a nuisance to position. The use of a spermicide demands that you not wash in a tub or shower for a minimum of six hours after intercourse.
Warning
Contraceptive methods come with certain risks and side effects. Birth control devices that are inserted into the vagina can cause urinary tract infections. The IUD can, in rare cases, break through the uterus and wind up in the abdomen. Birth control pills may, in rare cases, cause existing fibroid tumors to grow in size and may cause high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, stroke, depression and high cholesterol.
