Welcome to Gaia! ::

No matter what we have lead ourselves to believe the point of having sex is to reproduce. Over the years we have turned it into an act of pleasure, or a special act of love where you give yourself to the person you love, trust and care about. Others have turned it into an evil experience full of manipulation and greed! But we won't focus on that part.

So for whatever reason you have for not wanting a baby, whether it's that you're too young, financially incapable of bringing up a child, you simply don't want children now, or any other reason you may have you will do what ever it takes to make sure you do not get pregnant.

Now there are a lot of birthcontrol out there for you to choose, but as i'm sure you know some are more effective than others. The only 100% way to avoid unwanted pregnancy and disease is to simply not have sex (to abstain). This is fine for a while, but you will reach a point in your life where is it simply not an option anymore, and you choose to take the risk.


Men can get a simple operation called a vasectomy where the sperm tubes are blocked to prevent sperm being released. This is 99.5% effective.
Women can get sterilised, however this is major surgery and should not be took upon lightly. This is also 99.5% effective.

The combined pill is 99% effective when used correctly and taken at the same time everyday. It stops ovulation taking place, so sperm is unable to fertilise.

The mini pill (or the progestogen only pill) is similar to the combined pill but only contains one hormone rather than two and is also 99% effective if taken correctly at the same time everyday. It makes the entrance of the womb thicker and thus harder for sperm to get into, therefore stopping fertilisation from taking place; and if sperm did get through the mini pill also makes the lining of the uterus thinner so the egg is unable to implant and grow.
Contraceptive injections and implants are also 99% effective.

IUS (intrauterine system ) is a small plastic device which is placed inside a woman by a doctor or nurse, it works in a similar way to the mini pill in the sense that it makes the entrance of the womb thicker and harder for sperm to get into and make the lining of the uterus thinner so it is difficult for the egg to implant. Also it can be inserted and left for 5 years before it needs replacing. It is 99% effective.

IUD (intrauterine device) it is also known as the coil. They are T-shaped and made from plastic and copper and work in the same way as IUS. But is 99-98% effective.
i feel i should point out that intrauterine is just a fancy word for 'inside the womb'

The male condom is made of rubber and is placed on the p***s to prevent sperm from entering the v****a. This is the most common form of contraception used, however condoms can be damaged by nails and jewelry or if they are stored in a hot place. They are 98% effective.

The female condom (or femidom) is made of rubber and placed inside the woman before intercourse, it prevents sperm entering the v****a. But is only 95% effective.

Here i must point out that condoms are the only methods of contraception which prevent people from getting STD's!!! ALWAYS USE A CONDOM, EVEN IF YOU ARE USING 3 OTHER METHODS OF BIRTH CONTROL WITH IT!

There are many natural methods out there such as knowing when you are ovulating and not having sex at this time; but this takes a lot of time to learn how to do, and even then you can never be sure because your cycles could change. I strongly do not suggest anybody use this method!

Then there is the cap, which is dome shaped and covers the entrance to the womb. It is made of rubber and is 96-92% effective.

Finally we come to withdrawl. I cannot stress enough how unreliable this is!
GIRLS: never and i mean NEVER under any circumstances let a boy talk you into not using protection because he says he will pull out before he comes! Whether he does or not, there is always precum, which has sperm in it!




*all of the statistics shown above are rough estimates

There are 4 factors that should be taken into account when deciding which method of birth control is right for you:

*your individual preference
*your religious beliefs
*your age (older women are advised against the pill etc)
*whether you want a short term method (condom) or a short term method (coil)

The reliability of any method depends on whether it is used correctly, so take great care in doing so!

Right. I found a leaflet with lots of info on all the different methods, so ill post them all for you.

Combined Pill

If taken according to the instructions it is over 99% effective. This means that less than 1 in 100 women will get pregnant each year.
If it is not taken correctly then the chances of pregnancy are much greater!

How it works
It contains two hormones: oestrogen and progestogen, which stops women releasing eggs each month.

Advantages
* Often reduces bleeding, period pain and pre-menstrual tension.
*Prtoect against cancers of the womb and ovaries as well as some pelvic infections.
*Suitable for healthy, non smokers until they reach the menoause.

Disadvantages
*Not suitable for all women
*Rare, but serious side-effects may occur including blood clots (thrombosis), breast cancer and cervical cancer.
*Can have temporary side-effects
*Not suitable for smokers over 35

Comments
The pill will not take effect if it is taken over 12 hours late or if you vomit or experience diarrhoea. Another method should be used for the next week in this case.
Certain drugs will stop the pill from working.
Pill users should not smoke.

Two quick points:

1. The Morning-after Pill is NOT an acceptable form of birth control.

2. When using the pill it is importnat to note that if you have unprotected sex and forget to take the pill the day after the chance of pregnancy is VERY high. If you are going to take the pill you need to be responsable.

Just a question ;
Getting your tubes tied prevents pregnancies, but if you decide later on that you want to get pregnant,
can you reverse itt?

I'm sure with how far they're getting you'll be able to save your eggs as well. I was thinking of getting my tubes tied as well but I've never had kids so they won't let me. I understand where they're comming from but still lol

I believe that the guy's can be reversed because some have told me of when they burned off the ends and other say they never had that done. So I'm not sure how it is but I believe a guy can go back.

just a question... I heard that alot of birth controll makes you gain weight.. is this true?