Long-term birth control options prove most effective
Sophomore Alexis Bennett has tried birth control tablets, shots and now is going to try an intrauterine device on Friday that will last up to five years.
Bennett has previously gone five months without any birth control and had a pregnancy scare after realizing both “the pill,” which has to be administered every day at the same time for best results and the shot, which made her nauseous, were not for her.
“I thought I really need to figure this out, be an adult and do something,” Bennett said.
Birth control includes more than just “the pill.”
The practice could include observing one’s menstrual cycle and avoiding having sex during ovulation when eggs are most susceptible to fertilization, using diaphragms or condoms, or using shots, implants, IUDs or getting an abortion.
Birth control options are often discussed at Campus Care, said Krista Duval, a doctor at Campus Care, in an email.
“A big part of choosing a contraceptive method is finding what is right for that individual person at that point in her life,” Duval said. “There are so many factors that go into why a woman chooses a certain method.”
Effectiveness
About 60 percent of women of reproductive age were using at least one form of birth control in 2010, according to the National Health Statistics Report. More than 25 percent, or 10.5 million women, used a birth control pill.
However, the pill can be one of the least effective forms of birth control.
The pill, patch and NuvaRing can lead to up to 61 unplanned pregnancies out of 100 women in 10 years with typical use, according to a study by James Trussell in the Office of Population Research at Princeton University and the Brookings Institution.
However, copper IUDs led to eight unplanned pregnancies and hormonal IUDs two unplanned pregnancies, both with typical use.
Copper IUDs do not have hormones, and the IUD that does contain hormones has a smaller dosage compared to pills, patches, rings or shots. Hormones could alter a person’s mood, among other symptoms.
“It takes a lot of the effort out of remembering birth control,” Duval said. “Nothing to remember on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Nothing to remember if she spends the night at a friend’s house or heads home for the weekend. No trips to the pharmacy.”
Bennett said she is turning to an IUD because it will be a hormonal solution that she won’t have to worry about taking every day.
“I would get in the bad habit of if I skipped a day, the next day I’d take two pills; if I skipped two pills I’d take three pills ... then you start feeling sick,” Bennett said. “I knew it was not good for my body. ... I need something that I don’t have to remember.”
Campus Care carries both types of IUDs, shots, rings, patches, pills and condoms. Even with an extremely high failure rate, if an individual wanted a sponge or diaphragm as a preferred method, Campus Care could obtain one, Duval said.
For those wondering about the procedure, getting an IUD only takes about three minutes and can last five to 12 years, depending on the IUD selected. For an implant, it takes only about 30 to 60 seconds to insert under the skin of the upper arm and can last three years, she said.
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Reasons and risks
As with any medical decision, risks are involved. One of the greatest with birth control is unplanned pregnancy, which can come from the difference between typical and perfect use.
Bennett said when she was on the pill, she didn’t have too many issues besides irregular periods to start. For the shot, however, it was a different story.
“It was so strong, that the first two weeks right after you get the shot I was just sick,” Bennett said. “I would get really bad headaches and I would just get sick to my stomach and it would make me feel really sluggish and fatigued.”
With IUDs, risks can include expulsion, or the device slipping out of the uterus and into the vagina, and perforation, or a hole being poked in the uterus. However, the chance of either of these risks happening is small, Duval said.
Patty Stokes, assistant professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexualities Studies, said she understands that there are other reasons to take birth control, but there is no shame in using it for its intended purpose.
“I don’t want to shame young women for saying (other medical usesare) why they went on it, but simply that ... by saying that, it’s a little inoculation to slut shaming,” Stokes said.
Misconceptions about birth control: The past and the present
Stokes said women have always been taking control of their bodies, even before the pill or more advanced technologies were introduced.
In history, numerous methods were used as forms of birth control until it was legal. Abortions were still performed before Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in 1973, and the safety of the procedure just depended on the doctor or the opportunities a woman had to find one legally.
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“Couples have always engaged in birth control, but making it available on a large scale basis and making it reliable really separated sexual activity or sex from reproduction,” said Susanne Dietzel, director of the Women’s Center.
Even Lysol used to advertise as a contraceptive, where women would dilute the chemical and use it with douching. Condoms used to be advertised as the most effective when using two at a time.
The introduction of the pill in 1960, Stokes said, wasn’t just a leap for the women’s movement, but simply for women.
“Before, most women were at the mercy of their biology. ... Other than becoming a nun in past societies, women were expected to get married; that was the only way they were going to be economically viable … and once you got married you gave up your right to say no to sex in marriage,” Stokes said.
Even with a wide range of products and methods available, stigmas and misconceptions still exist about the topic of birth control. Bennett said she experienced pressure from some of her more religious family members about getting on the pill.
Evan Young, a United Campus Ministries reverend, said religious institutions and perspectives can significantly affect a woman’s decision, and that his background lends itself to embracing education about sexuality.
“I understand how difficult it can be for young adults to navigate this development stage with (a religious pressure),” Young said. “My own view is that it’s irresponsible for religious institutions to communicate that level of anxiety without also providing accurate information.”
Anna Heaton, a senior studying psychology, is an intern with POWER/GAMMA and works with the Latex League. She said in addition to educating about condom use, the group also has a program that caters toward birth control like the pill, IUDs and more.
Heaton said it should not be up to male-identified individuals to bring condoms or have tools to prevent sexually transmitted infections, and the programming the Latex League does gives them the tools to take the next step.
Bennett said she has put a lot of research into her decisions regarding her options.
“Be open about your methods and don’t be shy about talking about how sexually active you might be because that’s what they’re there for and they can help you weigh your options,” Bennett said.
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