Contraceptive

   For

    Against

Reliability

    Who does it suit?

How to get it?

The Pill -

“Combined Pill” - the two female hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, combined

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**     Convenience

**     Periods may get lighter and less painful

**     Reduces risk of cancer of ovary and womb in long term

~     Slight increase in risk of breast cancer with higher dose Pills used more than five years

~     Slight increase in chance of blood clot- about 1 in 10,000 women on Pill for a year

Sometimes

~     Weight  gain

~     Acne

~     Mood changes

~     Not suitable for everyone

~     Poor protection against sexually transmitted diseases

Very- one woman in 200 pregnant per year, taken correctly

**     Younger women

**     (Best used with a condom the first few months with a new partner to prevent catching sexually transmitted diseases)

Make appointment with your usual doctor or with Sister to discuss

NB. An internal examination is not usually necessary before starting the Pill

Progesterone Only Pill or “Mini Pill”- just one of the hormones in the Combined Pill, but in higher dose

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**     Convenience

**     Good for breast feeding mothers

~     Periods become irregular or stop

~     Must be taken without fail at same time each day- if  you are more than a couple of hours late, it may not work

Reasonable- two to three women in 100 pregnant per year

**     Breast feeders

**     Women with some problems with the Combined Pill, eg. migraine

Make appointment with your usual doctor or with Sister to discuss

Contraceptive injection- really the “Mini Pill” by injection

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**     Very convenient

~     Irreversible for three months

~     Unpredictable return of periods and fertility- up to nine months after last injection

~     it can stop your oestrogen production, so your periods can disappear, - this can lead to premature thinning of the bones

Good- perhaps one pregnancy per 100 women per year

**     The Forgetful

**     Women with busy unrepetitive lives

**     Travellers across time zones

Make appointment with your usual doctor or with Sister to discuss.

Implanon- really the “Mini Pill” by implantation

(Contraceptive rod implant )

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**     Very convenient

** lasts 3 years

Dr Noble at Eastfield Sugery inserts these

Condom

(sheath, Durex, Mates)

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Female Condom

(Femedon)

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**     Nothing to take

**     Some protection against sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS and cancer of cervix

~     Must use every time

~     Must stop the action to put it on

~     Not everyone likes them

~     Can occasionally slip off or burst

Reasonable- two to three women in 100 pregnant per year

**     Those with more than one partner in the next few years- with the Pill.

**     Stable couples, waiting to finish their family

Buy without prescription at chemists or most large supermarkets

Make an appointment with Sister or your usual Doctor to discuss if you have any questions

Free at Family Planning

Diaphragm  used with spermicide

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**     Nothing to take

**     Woman can take own responsibility

~     Must use every time

~     Must stop the action to put it in

~     Not everyone likes them - Spermicide can be messy

~     Must be happy about touching own body internally

Reasonable- 2-3 women in 100 pregnant per year

**     Couples with families who haven’t yet completed them

Make appointment with Sister or Drs. Nunn or Shepherd,  to discuss

Coil (Intra-uterine contraceptive Device or IUCD)

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**     Nothing to take

**     Convenient

**     Can use to menopause

**     Only needs changing once every five years

~     Periods can get heavier- about one woman in 5 has it removed because of this.

VERY RARELY:-

~     Can cause infection leading to blockage of tubes and infertility

~     Womb can be punctured at fitting, needing emergency op. to remove it

~     If pregnancy should happen, a pregnancy in the tube, needing emergency surgery, is possible.

~     Not suitable for everyone, especially if you have never been pregnant, or are likely to have more than one partner

Good- perhaps one pregnancy per 100 women per year

**     Couples with families who don’t want to have a sterilization yet

Make appointment with Dr. Nunn to discuss

Progesterone releasing coil (Mirena)

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(releases very low dose of one natural female hormone very slowly into womb lining)

**     As reliable as sterilization

**     Always there

**     Periods often become lighter, although often some spotting in first six months

~     as the very rare risks for coil above

~     Needs changing every  five years- may be lengthened to 7 years shortly

~     A bit larger than usual coil, so fitting can be a little trickier

~     not currently licensed after forty years old

Excellent-

perhaps similar to sterilization

**     Couples with families who don’t want to have a sterilization yet, especially if periods a problem

Make appointment with Dr. Nunn to discuss

GyneFix - thread inserted into womb, bearing 6 copper tubes

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**     very reliable

**     less menstrual bleeding than the conventional IUCD

**     suitable for women never previously pregnant, provided in monogamous relationship

~     as the very rare risks for coil above - except suitable for newer been pregnant women

~     very new- have all the side-effects really been found?

~     Can be painful and tricky to fit

Very good- perhaps 0.5 pregnancy per 100 women per year

**     couples who want a non-hormonal and reliable method of contraception

Make appointment with Dr. Nunn to discuss

Persona

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(strips to test body’s hormones to see when fertile period is- then avoid unprotected intercourse )

**     “natural”, no hormones to take

**     a modern hi-tech variant of “safe period”..

~     monitor costs about £50, strips about £10 per month.

~     Not available on NHS

Similar to sheath- 4-5 pregnant women per 100 per year

**     “Natural” methods, such as this, may be only acceptable form of contraception for some women

Buy it at Boots

Sterilization

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Vasectomy for men, or clips on the tubes for women.

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**     Reliable

**     No thought beforehand

~     Although you can try, you must consider it irreversible

~     Operation needed- local anaesthetic for vasectomy, general for tubal ligation

~     Possible small risk of cancer of prostate in men- not accepted by most specialists

As reliable as you can get, though rare failures can occur

**     Stable couples who have each definitely decided to have no more children

Ask Sister or your usual doctor for more details