FEATURE
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doesn't require an incision, as painless with only some slight soreness the day after. The rod can be removed at any time and pregnancy can happen any time after this.
The implantable rod does have some possible side effects, including acne, weight gain, mood changes, depression, hair loss, upset stomach and dizziness, according to the FDA. Homelvig, however, has had none of these. She has actually lost weight since starting Implanon almost a year ago, and her moods remain stable — one aspect of birth control that was important to her.
INTRAUTERINE DEVICE
After the pill, the intrauterine device (IUD) is one of the most popular forms of birth control. Nibbelink says. An IUD is a T-shaped device small enough to be inserted into a woman's uterus. There are two brands of IUDs: ParaGard and Mirena. The Paragard IUD contains copper and works for 12 years; it does not change a woman's hormone levels. Mirena releases the hormone progestin to prevent the ovaries from releasing eggs. Both of these options also affect sperm movement, according to Planned Parenthood.
The IUD stops sperm from connecting with an egg. IUDs are most commonly prescribed to women who have already been pregnant because the device fits better in a uterus of a woman who has already had a child. Nibbelink says. They are inserted vaginally and removed by a doctor. Planned Parenthood says the IUD is the least expensive long-term and reversible kind of birth control available. The total cost for the medical exam, IUD. insertion of the IUD and follow-up visits can range from $175 to $650 for the five- or 12-year-period of the IUD's effectiveness.
"For people who like to be a little more spontaneous with their sexual activity it's nice because there's no planning that needs to be in place," says Jenny McKee, health educator for Watkins Health Center. "You don't have to worry about condoms or putting in your diaphragm or taking a pill or a patch or a ring or anything. It's just in there." The IUD is most recommended for people in monogamous relationships, she says.
The IUD is just as effective as sterilization surgery but is easily reversed. McKee says. Less than one in 100 women will become pregnant while using the IUD, according to the FDA. The Mirena IUD can reduce cramps during menstruation and make menstruation lighter, sometimes by nearly 90 percent, according to Planned Parenthood. Once an IUD is removed, a woman can quickly regain the ability to become pregnant.
The copper IUD lasts longer and costs less than the hormonal IUD. Some women prefer the hormone-free copper version either because they have a clotting disorder or because they have had adverse reactions to hormones in the past. Johnson says. However, periods can be heavier and cause more cramps than the IUD with progestin. Johnson says that the amount of progestin absorbed systemically from Mirena seems to be very small so effects such as weight gain and mood changes are not as great.
Some negative side effects include possible increased cramping and bleeding between periods, pelvic infection upon initial insertion of the IUD, a change in sexual interest or change in periods.
CONTRACEPTIVE RING
After stressing about taking the pill at the right time each day for almost three years, Cassie Hollmann was tired of the headache, nausea, and general discomfort she experienced if she took the pill at another time. Hollmann, Overland Park graduate student, switched to a contraceptive ring, branded as NuvaRing, when her doctor suggested the alternative.
NuvaRing is probably the best option of birth control for a college student who's never been pregnant. Nibbelink says, stressing that it is probably the easiest to use.
NuvaRing is a small ring worn for 21 days and then removed for 7 days for the period.
"For people who like to be a little more spontaneous with their sexual activity, it's nice because there's no planning that needs to be in place."
— Jenny McKee, health care educator for Watkins Health Center, on IUDs
It releases the hormones estrogen and progestin to prevent pregnancy, much like the pill. According to Planned Parenthood, less than one out of 100 women who use contraceptive rings will get pregnant each year if they use it as directed.
Depending on your health insurance, the cost can range from $15 to $50 a month. Hollmann pays more for NuvaRing than she did for the pill, but she says for her, it's worth it.
"For me it feels safer than the pill because there's no way I'm going to mess it up," she says.
Some women aren't comfortable with the invasive nature of NuvaRing, McKee says. Hollmann says NuvaRing has worked well for her, but she does know some women who experience weight gain and discomfort from the ring. Hollmann takes dance classes and works out on a regular basis and her ring has never fallen out. The ring has also never caused her any problems during sex, a concern she hears often about NuvaRing. Hollmann has been in a relationship for more than four years and discussed her switch to NuvaRing with her boyfriend. He was fine with the choice, and neither of them say they've noticed the ring during sex.
SHOT/INJECTION
The birth control shot injects the hormone progestin into the body. It lasts for three months. The brand name for the shot is Depo-Provera and costs $35 to $75 per injection. About one in 100 women who use the shot as a method of contraception will become pregnant.
Unable to use a form of birth control with estrogen, Cait, Cheney sophomore, uses the shot. Cait likes the shot because she no longer has a period and has not experienced any of the negative side effects. Receiving the shot every three months is less of a hassle for her than remembering to take the pill every day.
Risks include a decrease in bone density, increased risk of depression and headaches. These risks can last six to eight months after the last shot is administered. McKee says. The return to fertility can be delayed for up to a year. The shot is used most commonly for girls in their mid-teens. Nibbelink says. He is not big fan of prescribing Depo-Provera to patients older than their teens because of complaints of irregular bleeding and weight gain. Although the weight gain is usually around five pounds. Nibbelink has seen patients gain up to 60 pounds in a year while receiving Depo-Provera shots. The side effects are not as pervasive for patients in their mid-teens.
SKIN PATCH
An adhesive patch that is applied weekly for three weeks and then removed for a week. OrthoEvra, the patch's brand name, releases both estrogen and progestin into the body to stop ovulation. The FDA states that five out of 100 women will become pregnant while using the patch. For women who weigh more than 200 pounds the patch can be less effective.
Because it can be applied by the woman using the patch, it is less invasive and it can be more convenient than the other forms of contraception that require the assistance of a doctor. McKee says. Its other benefits include decrease in acne, less painful cramps, protection against iron deficiency and ovarian cysts.
However, the woman wearing the patch is at risk for exposure to higher levels of estrogen than the pill, Johnson says, and clotting can be more common. Nausea, depression, and heart attack could also be risks.
PROBLEMS WITH THE PILL
Forgetting to take the pill on a regimented schedule is the number one problem according to these college women. This slip of the mind causes nausea and decreases the pill's effectiveness.
Irritability, mood swings, yeast infections, irregular bleeding, weight gain and acne are the most troublesome side effects for college-aged women and can be the most common side effects of the pill.
Although the pill is easy to access and other options may seem odd, they can be better fits for your life and health and deserve to be considered. Jp
THE OLD STANDARD
Though all of the forms of contraception discussed here help prevent pregnancy, none protect from sexually transmitted infections. Latex condoms are the best protection against STIs (other than abstinence).
The most recent statistics from a 2002 survey by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that among men ages 15 to 44, 29.5 percent used a condom the last time they had sex.
Combining condoms with spermicide increases the rate of protection even more, says Larry Nibbelink, obstetrician and gynecologist at Associates for Female Care in Kansas City, Kan. Spermicide contains chemicals that stop the movement of sperm. Creamis, film, foams, gels and supporitories (an easily melted medicated mass for insertion into the rectum, urethra, or vagina) are the different available types of spermicides. Spermicides are most useful when used with another form of contraception such as male condom, female condom or diaphragm.
PULLING OUT
Long the papal preference and the bane of sexual educators, the "withdrawal method" is actually the third most popular form of contraception of college students during intercourse according to the 2006 National College Health Assessment.
Sex is more pleasurable without a condom, says Dan, St. Louis junior. Dan has used pulling out as a form of contraception and would rather risk it than using a condom. He says he relies on pulling out when no condom is available. "Granted it's not one of the safest (methods), but people get caught in the moment and don't think about the repercussions of their actions." Dan says.
People often use this method because of moral or religious beliefs that prevent any use of contraception, says Jenny McKee, health educator for Watkins Health Center. It provides no protection against STIs. By pulling the penis out before orgasm, pregnancy can be prevented, though effectiveness is debatable, because some sperm may be released before ejaculation. Planned Parenthood says that of every 100 couples who use withdrawal correctly, four will become pregnant. Done incorrectly, 27 out of 100 will become pregnant.
Pulling out is a method that takes a lot more control and has a lot higher risk, says Carol Johnson, M.D., obstetrician and gynecologist at Watkins Health Center. Planned Parenthood advises that only monogamous couples who are comfortable with each and know their sexual limits well should use pulling out.
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