Birth Control Methods...What Works?

[AngelaDawn18]

I will be getting married in about 2 weeks and my fiancé and I have been talking about waiting until we have been married a few years to have children. I don't know what the safest, cheapest, and most effect contraceptive is. Can you please give me your input on ths subject. PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!!!

 

[Stringaling]

Well, I was on ortho tricyclin for a long time when I got pregnant, so that didn't work for me but many other pills didn't work well for me either. THey messed up my cycles, caused me to be depressed, the patch wouldn't stay on, etc. . . Right now I am not using any BC, but I do have a fertility tracker/monitor --you just lick a slide every morning, let it dry, and look at your saliva thru the small microscope that comes with the kit. If you see a ferning pattern in your saliva you are fertile, if you see only spots then you are not fertile and you can go ahead and have at it. From what I read it is very accurate at indicating fertility---and has worked for me so far. Because I have so many problems with the pill I did get an IUD for a while, but chose to have it removed when I learned that it can cause you to abort fertilized eggs. This method--very close to the Natural Family Planning (NFP) method hased worked well so far and cost only about $50. Comes with a battery powered microscope and 6 reusable slides. Cheaper than the pill overall and easy. Here is a ink to the place I bought mine. They have several kinds to choose from.
http://thefertilityshop.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=1_17
Good luck with you search!

 

[karla]

I am a high supporter of NFP. It is the safest and cheapest and works with God's plan for us. Keep in mind that no bc is 100%. When used correctly NFP is very effective. Many forms of artificial bc do not prevent conceptions, they simply prevent the fertilized egg from implanting. Here's a link to a website: http://www.ccli.org/

Congrats on the upcoming wedding!

 

[desi]

Trusting God is usually safe.

 

[BeanMak]

A diaphragm and spermacide worked for us.

 

[herev]

We found that the best way to not get pregnant was to try to get pregnant .

But seriously folks, I would just suggest that you never rely on only one if you really, really don't want to get pregnant--Condom and pill or condom and spermicide or condom and diaphram, etc.

 

[Why?]

I know that I didn't start this thread, but thanks for all the advice anyway. I have been thinking about using birth control, but didn't want to take pills. And I don't like condoms. I'm going to check out the NFP thing now.

 

[desi]

What do you call a couple who uses NFP?




Parents.

 

[HonorTruth]

Dear AngelaDawn:

Congratulations on your wedding and marriage! Show God's glory in the world by your faithfulness and love for each other. Marriage demonstrates the love and glory of God before the watching world.

The birth control/contraception issue is common to most couples. I would suggest that Christian couples must accept and welcome children to the marital relationship--seeing children as wonderful gifts from God. At the same time, most couples will try some means of timing and spacing their families, and limiting the total number of children to be born to the family.

A couple of concerns: Christians should technology that is abortifacient in effect--causing or possibly causing an abortion. The IUD is thus ruled out, and there is considerable concern about the possible abortifiacient effect of some oral contraceptives. You can check this out very easily on the internet and make an informed decision. Others have concerns about the long-term medical effects of the "pill."

Natural Family Planning is the only method allowable by Catholic doctrine, which argues that each and every act of marital sex must be equally open to the gift of children. Some non-Catholics are using NFP as well. Many [perhaps most] couples find the sexual limitations of NFP to be difficult, since access to intercourse is limited to the identified "safe" days of a woman's cycle.

Barrier methods are least complicated and easiest to use. The condom and diaphram are true contraceptives, preventing the male and female gametes [sperm and egg] from contact. Some couples find elements of these technologies to be less than satisfactory, but the reality is that no contraceptive technology is totally without complication or risk. Put bluntly, God designed the act of intercourse to lead to pregnancy.

You and your soon-to-be husband should prayerfully talk about this--fast--and decide how you will approach this question. Given the timetable you are dealing with, the easiest and fastest option available is the male condom. You might start with this and make another decision at a later time. The pill and diaphram require a physician's prescription.

May God give you both great joy and all the happiness of a true Christian marriage.

HonorTruth

 

[BeanMak]

Also, after we had our 2 children, I used an IUD for 12 years. I never had any problems with that

 

[Niamh]

Pill
Condom
Spermicide
Coil
Diaphram
Sterilisation
NFP

 

[Ave Maria]

Um, just so you know, Natural Family Planning is NOT very effective! The various methods have a 20% failure rate which would be totally unacceptable to me. I am on Depo Provera. The advantages?

1. 97-99.7% effectiveness.
2. Can be used by women who cannot take estrogen.
3. Effective for 12 weeks before you have to get another shot (once every 3 months).
4. No pill to take daily.
5. Nothing has to be put in place before vaginal intercourse.
6. Can be used while breastfeeding.
7. Helps prevent cancer of the lining of the uterus.
8. Doesn't require surgery.

The common disadvantages?

1. Periods become fewer and lighter for most women or may stop all together (In my case they have stopped all together except for a tad of spotting once every few months. I personally consider this to be a major advantage.)
2. Some women will have longer and heavier periods.
3. Some may have increased light spotting and breakthrough bleeding.

Check out their website:

http://www.depo-provera.com/index.asp

There are also some other options available that might suite you well:

The Ortho-Evra Patch - http://www.plannedparenthood.org/bc/030109_OrthoEvra.html

The NuvaRing - http://www.plannedparenthood.org/bc/030109_NuvaRing.html

And IUDs - http://www.plannedparenthood.org/bc/iud.html

 

[karla]

Um, just so you know, Natural Family Planning is NOT very effective!

Actually it is very effective, more so than some form of ABC, but must be done correctly. It take a bit more effort than slapping on a patch or taking a pill, but the rewards are wonderful.

 

[Ave Maria]

Actually it is very effective, more so than some form of ABC, but must be done correctly. It take a bit more effort than slapping on a patch or taking a pill, but the rewards are wonderful.

I suppose it could be very effective if done perfectly or near perfectly. However, Planned Parenthood states that it has a 20% failure rate which means an 80% success rate with typical use. This means that the usage is not perfect. I hear it is nearly impossible to use this method perfectly. It probably takes a lot of practice before you get it just right. Anyway, I think the most effective birth control is probably the Depo Provera which is what I take. It has an effectiveness rate of 97-99.7%. I don't know Karla, I'd just be more comfortable using something like Depo Provera than natural birth control.

 

[HeatherJay]

To the OP, check out some of the other BC threads in the women's section. Not everyone reacts the same way to hormonal BC. I question the over-use of hormonal drugs, but for reasons other than moral ones.

Let's not stoop to playing the 'my BC is better than your BC' game...it's silly. And, as many have moral objections to Planned Parenthood, it's statistics might not hold too much water for them. LOL, you might be opening up a whole other can of worms there.

JMO.

 

[karla]

I suppose it could be very effective if done perfectly or near perfectly. However, Planned Parenthood states that it has a 20% failure rate which means an 80% success rate with typical use. This means that the usage is not perfect. I hear it is nearly impossible to use this method perfectly. It probably takes a lot of practice before you get it just right. Anyway, I think the most effective birth control is probably the Depo Provera which is what I take. It has an effectiveness rate of 97-99.7%. I don't know Karla, I'd just be more comfortable using something like Depo Provera than natural birth control.

Contraceptive Technology, a standard textbook puts the Sympto-Thermal method effectiveness rate at 98%, and the Ovulation method at 97%. From what i can tell on the quick look I took at the Planned Parenthood site, they lump different types together. The rhythm method is not a reliable method and not one that is to be trusted. Lumping that together with the symptothernal method, then I can understand where they get their 20% failure rate. But again, the rhyhtm method is not one that is reliable as your body can change month to month.

 

[selune]

I think NFP is fairly reliable if you follow the instructions. I don't like hormonal BC due to the emotional and physical effects it had on me. Condoms work, but sensation wise they leave a lot to be desired. Best wishes.