■ Four types of oral contraceptives are available. The constant — dose combination pill contains steady doses of estrogen and progestin. The triphasic pill provides fluctuations of estro­gen and progestin levels throughout the menstrual cycle. The extended-cycle pill reduces menstrual cycles to four per year. The progestin-only pill consists of low-dose progestin. ■ Advantages of […]

■ From the beginning of recorded history, humankind has been concerned about birth control. ■ Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinics in the United States at a time when it was illegal to provide birth control information and devices. ■ Objections to contraception stem from Roman Catholic doctrine and far-right anti-contraception beliefs. However, […]

Other new directions for women consist of variations on methods of delivery and for­mulations of hormones in existing methods. A spray-on contraceptive may be added to the choices of transdermal contraceptives, and a vaginal contraceptive ring used continuously for one year is under development (Harrison-Hohner, 2010). Some of the research on new contraceptive methods for […]

As we have seen in this chapter, potential health hazards and inconveniences are associ­ated with available contraceptive methods. Unwanted pregnancies occur each year because of contraceptive and user failure. We look at future possibilities for both men and women. New Directions for Men Current research has focused on methods designed to inhibit sperm production, motility, […]

Male sterilization is as effective as female ster­ilization and has the advantages of being safer I Figure 10.11 Essure, a tiny coil that and less expensive and having fewer complica- is used in female sterilization. tions following surgery. However, of people who judge exactly when he must withdraw, and his tendency is to remain inside […]

Female sterilization has become a relatively safe, simple, and inexpensive procedure. Approximately 25% of married women of childbearing age in the United States rely on female sterilization as their method of contraception (Mosher & Jones, 2010). Tubal sterilization can be accomplished by a variety of techniques that use small inci­sions and either local or general […]

Sterilization is the most effective method of birth control except abstinence from sexual intercourse, and its safety and permanence appeal to many who want no more children or who prefer to remain childless. Sterilization is the leading method of birth control in the United States and around the world (Peterson, 2008). Although medical proce­dures to […]

Another way of estimating high-fertility days is through temperature, using the basal body temperature method. Immediately before ovulation the basal body tempera­ture (BBT, the body temperature in the resting state on waking in the morning) drops slightly. After ovulation the corpus luteum releases more progesterone, which causes the body temperature to rise slightly (0.2°F). Because […]

The standard days method is the newest approach to natural family planning. It is appropriate for women who have menstrual cycles between 26 and 32 days long. Cou­ples avoid unprotected intercourse on days 8 through 19 of each menstrual cycle. This "fertile window" is 12 days long to take into account both the days around […]

The birth control methods that we have discussed so far require the use of pills or devices. Some of these methods have side effects in some users, and there can be health risks associated with using oral contraceptives and the IUD. The barrier methods we have looked at—condoms, vaginal spermicides, and the diaphragm—have fewer side […]