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Conscious family planning coincides with a prudent selection of the best method of contraception for health, especially when, for personal reasons, we postpone offspring to a later time.
Statistically speaking, in relationships where no form of contraception was used, 85 out of 100 women get pregnant each year, so we shouldn’t expect to get away with it.
Factors taken into account
The most important role is played by the age, preferences and general health of the woman. Body weight, possible occurrence of systemic diseases, blood pressure, cigarettes and obstetric history are taken into account. The likelihood of side effects of the method and lifestyle should also be taken into account.
Age-appropriate method
Women who do not have regular intercourse before the age of 20 should use condoms to prevent pregnancy and venereal diseases, and above all, protect themselves through single-phase, two-component preparations with a low content of estradiol and progesterone, i.e. sex hormones that were obtained synthetically. An additional benefit of taking them is the alleviation of acne problems, the abundance of blood and menstrual pain.
The period of the highest fertility in the fair sex takes place at the age of 20-35. In terms of effectiveness, hormonal contraception is the best and it is the most frequently recommended form by gynecologists. Thanks to the variety of products, they can be individually selected for the comfort of each woman. Forgetting about pills does not ultimately rule out our chances of safe contraception, because there are patches to choose from, which is enough to stick once a week, a quarterly intramuscular contraceptive injection with a progestin hormone and a ring or a vaginal ring with an estrogen-progestin formula, which every three weeks is placed in the vagina. There are also intrauterine IUD systems, i.e. inserts and spirals with synthetic levonorgestrel, which has progestogenic properties that allow for safe contraception for at least 3 years, and subcutaneous implants.
You can also get pregnant at the perimenopausal age, as long as you still have irregular periods. The gynecologist will usually prescribe a single-component contraceptive with a synthetic progestin. Depending on your preferences, you can opt for subcutaneous implants, intrauterine systems, injections or mini-pills. Two-component forms are usually excluded due to contraindications, such as cardiovascular diseases.
Mechanical methods of contraception
Barrier methods of contraception are divided into condoms and vaginal membranesare not recommended for people with latex allergies. In the event that the condom breaks, emergency contraception remains, which is taken no later than 3 days after intercourse.
Special selection criteria
The time that has passed since the birth of the child is also important, so you can return to hormonal contraception after about 6 weeks, when the postpartum period is over. If the mother is breastfeeding, the doctor should recommend patches, vaginal rings or tablets based on two ingredients.
Whether a woman suffers from chronic diseases plays an important role. With hypothyroidism as well as hyperthyroidism, depression and epilepsy, you can choose any method, but in some cases there are strict recommendations:
- diabetes, hyperlidemia, history of venous thromboembolism – IUD with copper,
- in case of uncontrolled hypertension IUD with copper, and in case of controlled IUD with copper or levonorgestrel, single ingredient progestogen pills, subcutaneous implant,
- acute or chronic hepatitis A or hepatitis B – IUD with copper or levonorgestrel, progestin pills, subdermal implant, injections,
- cervical dysplasia or cancer – progestin pills,
- uterine fibroids – pills based on 2 ingredients, progestin pills, subcutaneous implant, injections, vaginal rings or patches.