Contraception and its many forms explained

Unwanted pregnancy and teen pregnancy is one of the major problems of our society. Having sex can be a very exciting and pleasurable experience but you must take protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV, contraception and birth control. There are so many different types of contraception available that you can choose according to your convenience.

Types of contraception:

The Pill: The Pill is a tablet containing two female hormones - an oestrogen and a progestogen. If you're thinking of going on the Pill, you'll be joining a band of about 100 million women worldwide who use this method. Pills are safe but very occasionally; it can have serious side-effects. When you want to start on the Pill, you should see a doctor and have a check-up. The Pill has now been shown to have certain major health advantages: it abolishes period pains, it makes periods shorter and it makes them lighter.

Condoms: Condoms are sheathes that trap the sperm when a man climaxes ('comes'). Wearing them greatly reduces the chances of pregnancy. There are now two types of condom: male and female. Male condom is usually about 7 inches (18 to 19cm) long, but various other sizes are available. Most condoms are made of thin latex - a form of rubber. When used correctly, a male condom is about 98 per cent effective. Pregnancy may occur if:

• You don't put the condom on before intercourse starts
• The condom splits.
• You use an oil-based lubricant, as this can make holes in latex condoms.

Buy only condoms that carry either the European CE mark, or the BSI Kitemark (BS EN 600), or the approval stamp of your national Family Planning organisation - this means that they have had thorough quality checks.

The female condom (UK trade name: Femidom) was invented about 18 years ago. It looks like a tiny plastic bin liner. There is a ring round the opening and another one at the closed end - which is the end that goes into the top of the vagina. Always take the female condom out of the pack with care - don't tear it with fingernails or rings. The female condom is pretty effective, as long as it is correctly inserted into the vagina. Although the female condom is still nowhere near as popular as the male one, some couples do like it.

Vasectomy: Vasectomy is a simple and straightforward operation that stops sperm entering semen. It is a permanent form of contraception, but as a rule it shouldn't interfere with your sex life because you will still have erections and produce semen. The actual surgical procedure sounds a bit alarming for most men, but there's usually very little pain and the operation is short. Vasectomy is not 100 per cent effective. Occasionally, pregnancies do happen. In Britain, estimates are that one in every 2000 vasectomies fails.

Female sterilization: Sterilization means preventing the woman from becoming pregnant by means of a fairly straightforward operation in which her Fallopian tubes are blocked or cut through - which makes it very difficult for her eggs to reach her womb. However, if you are young and childless, you should think very carefully before agreeing to be sterilised; do bear in mind that you might change your mind later on in life - and that reversal of the operation would be very difficult indeed.

Contraceptive coils (IUDs): Intrauterine devices (IUDs) have remained quite popular during the 21st century, especially among women who have had babies. The word ‘intrauterine' means ‘inside the womb'. They sit in your womb and prevent you from getting pregnant. They prevent your partner's sperm from getting through your womb and into your tubes. There are a number of side-effects and you must be aware of these before you decide to have an IUD. These devices generally make your periods heavier, make them longer and may make them more painful.

Coitus interruptus: If you don't want to go for any artificial method and want to enjoy the real sex go for Coitus interruptus, also known as 'withdrawal' or 'being careful' or ‘getting out at an earlier station. In this method the man pulls his penis out of the vagina before ejaculation. Although this is an unreliable method, it is much better in situations of spontaneous sexual intercourse than using nothing at all. However it's not completely effective, it's easy to fail to withdraw early enough.

Contraceptive injections: These jabs contain hormones. When injected into a muscle (usually in the buttock), the medication keeps you from getting pregnant for a considerable period of time. Worldwide, many millions of women use the contraceptive injection. They are very efficient indeed. Most experts rate them as around 99 per cent effective. Contraceptive jabs have three useful anti-fertility effects.They stop you from ovulating. They thicken the mucus in your cervix - making it difficult for sperm to get through. They make the lining of your womb thinner, so that if an egg (ovum) became fertilised, it would have difficulty attaching itself to the lining.

The IUS: The IUS is quite different to the IUD, because it contains a hormone. In addition to being a contraceptive, it usually makes your periods shorter, lighter and pain-free. So it's often used in order to treat period problems. It's not much longer than a match, and is more or less T-shaped. Very effective indeed - and better than the IUD. It starts to protect you against pregnancy as soon as it's been put in.

Advantages of the IUS:

• It doesn't'interfere with sex
• It's so effective
• You can keep it in for five years
• It usually gets rid of your period pain
• After a few months, it should reduce menstrual flow to little or nothing.

The contraceptive patch (Evra): It's a sticky patch you put on your skin, and it releases two hormones that stop you from getting pregnant. It's light pink in colour, and just under 2 inches by 2 inches. In a way, it's quite like a ‘skin' version of the contraceptive Pill, and it may well turn out to have similar long-term side-effects to the Pill.

There are three main advantages with Evra.

1. You don't have to remember to take a pill each day. But you do have to remember to put a new patch on every week.
2. The hormones are reaching you through your skin - not through your stomach. So you probably won't get the slight nausea the Pill often causes.
3. Tummy upsets often interfere with absorption of the Pill; this can't happen with a skin patch.

There are three main disadvantages.

1. The patch may come off, possibly without you noticing it.
2. Some women's skins react badly to the patch.
3. The patch doesn't control periods in the way that the Pill does.

Contraception - diaphragms and cervical caps: There are two main types of contraceptive caps: The diaphragm and the cervical cap. Diaphragms are a good deal bigger than cervical caps - they're about as wide as the palm of your hand. You put the diaphragm into your vagina before sex, positioning it so that it keeps sperms from getting anywhere near your cervix. Cervical caps are much smaller - about the size of a small egg-cup. You have to put the cervical cap directly onto your cervix, so as to stop sperm getting in.

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the Pill remains the most popular method in the UK. Among women aged 16 to 49, 27 per cent were using the Pill in 2007 and 20 per cent were relying on the condom. Before opting any above methods you must contact your doctor for best and safe results.

(Sources: netdoctor.co.uk, cfsh.ca)