He August 3 is International Family Planning Day, an aspect related to birth control in the sexually active population that includes sexual education, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
Family planning is essential for the full exercise of the population’s rights to sexual and reproductive health.
This includes everything from implants, injectables, to permanent methods. These methods have different mechanisms of action and efficacy when it comes to avoiding unwanted pregnancies.
Efficacy is measured by the number of pregnancies in a year per 100 women using the method, as described by the OMS.
According to their degree of efficacy using them regularly, the methods are classified as: very effective (between 0 and 0.9 pregnancies per 100 women); effective (between 1 and 9 pregnancies per 100 women); moderately effective (between 10 and 19 pregnancies per 100 women) and less effective (20 or more pregnancies per 100 women).
With this classification the very effective methods are:
– Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) or the pill
– Progestin-only pills or the mini-pill
– Implants, Injectables with progestin only
The pills are an easily reversible and effective method of contraception.
– Copper intrauterine device (IUD)
– Levonorgestrel intrauterine device (IUD)
– Female sterilization (tubal ligation or salpingoclasia)
– Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAME)
– Oral contraceptives
Oral hormonal contraceptives, or birth control pills, contain small amounts of female hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone, that manage to avoid ovulation avoiding the risk of pregnancy.
Similarly, birth control pills cause changes in the mucus in the cervix, making it thicker so that sperm cannot penetrate it.
– Injectable contraceptives: monthly injection and quarterly injection
Birth control shots contain small amounts of female hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone, which prevent ovulation.
Tubal ligation is a minimally invasive, outpatient surgery with easy recovery that lasts about 10 minutes and consists of cauterize the fallopian tubes to prevent the passage of the egg to the uterus, thus avoiding pregnancy.
“The procedure consists of cutting and/or ligating the vas deferens through which spermatozoa pass from the testicles to ejaculate. Although it is a definitive method, it can be reversed through surgery called vasovasostomy,” Profamilia describes in your page.
