The Ever Widening Range Of Birth Control Methods   by Kristine Bell

Some birth control methods are not really thought of as “birth control” because they are permanent. When people talk about birth control, what they usually mean is some method of preventing a pregnancy until the woman wants one. Yet the permanent methods are also a form of control, simply preventing pregnancy on a permanent basis. So these methods would include things like women having a hysterectomy or a less drastic tubal ligation, as well as men having vasectomies. However, since most people think of “birth control” as something else, let’s have a look at the less permanent, or reversible methods.

Of course, some still rely on earlier methods of birth control, some of which have been used throughout history, while others were manufactured using medical knowledge and used before the advent of the pill. These often rely on placing a barrier between sperm and egg. Many women use an internal diaphragm, while men use condoms. A copper and plastic inter-uterine device (IUD) is another method used.

Other people try to use more natural birth control, for example by timing sexual intercourse around a woman’s ovulation. Unfortunately, the failure rate of this method can be as high as twenty percent, because no woman’s menstrual cycle is absolutely the same every month.

Everyone knows about taking the pill, which was the first hormone method developed for contraception. But as research has gone on, many other types of birth control methods have expanded the range of options. Most of these, like the skin patch, the injection or the ring inserted into the vagina, allow the woman to go several weeks, if not months, before doing the next treatment. This is much more convenient than having to remember to take a pill every single day.

Some birth control methods concentrate more on the sperm than on controlling the woman’s cycle. Spermicides kill most of the sperm, and can be used as foams, jellies, creams or suppositories. The birth control sponge, inserted up to six hours before anticipated intercourse, is laden with spermicide. These are most effective when used with another form of birth control. But clearly, a woman is no longer left to cross her fingers using “natural” methods, nor is she limited just to a pill or an older barrier method. There are many different methods to choose from now, giving her an even wider range of freedom.

About the Author

Kristine writes on numerous health and beauty issues of interest to women. If you enjoyed this article, you might be interested in her recent home laser hair removal reviews, including an unbiased, factual Epila review.
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