Contraception is a form of birth control. It may come in the form of a drug or a device, which helps in preventing pregnancy by stopping the meeting of the egg with sperm during ovulation. It may also be a surgical procedure that can help in preventing pregnancy permanently. Use contraceptives during a sexual intercourse to avoid unwanted pregnancy.
What are the different kinds of contraception that one can use?
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While the most commonly used birth control method is a birth control pill, there are many kinds of IUDs. These can also be used for preventing the sperm from reaching the egg, and thereby avoiding a fetus. For those who want to go in for a more permanent form of birth control, sterilization and tubal ligation are useful. These are surgical methods that affect the passage of the eggs through uterine tubes. Depending on whether you want to avoid pregnancy permanently or for a specific period of time, select the right type of contraceptive.
Long-term contraceptives have higher efficacy.
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Long-term methods of contraceptives like installing an IUD in the uterine cavity and tubal ligation, are more effective birth control methods. But with many of these methods, one will have to go in for regular monitoring and check-ups initially because they are most efficient in the first year of installation, depending on the chosen methods. Other methods like condoms have a slight margin of inefficiency, which could lead to the risk of pregnancy. IUDs and tubal litigations are more foolproof contraception types although regular check-ups are required.
Contraceptives have no adverse health effects.
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Short-term contraceptive methods may not have any kind of adverse effect on the patient unless there is some allergy towards the latex material that is used for the same. However, the long-term methods dealing with hormone therapy or surgical intervention that affects the tubes and ovulation may have many side effects and problems. In case of IUDs and birth control pills, many women have had problems in conception later when they have discontinued the use of the same. So, always remember using contraceptives is advisable, but it comes at a cost and has its set of adverse health effects.
There are no emergency contraceptives.
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Emergency contraceptives like the morning-after-pills are also available, which must be ingested at least 72 hours of a sexual intercourse, where no protection was used. Using an emergency contraceptive does not help in ending a pregnancy if a woman is already pregnant.