birth controlHi! Dr. Jenkins here and I wanted to take a moment to chat about birth control! We have come A LONG WAY since having only The Pill as our primary option to prevent pregnancy. Certainly, The Pill remains a great option for many women but there are so many others out there. Birth control is not a one-size-fits-all class of medication, and it is important to remember that because a friend or family member did not like a particular method does not mean you would have the same experience. Often some trial and error are needed to find the method that is perfect for YOU. I would also like to note, that despite the popular phrase “trying to get pregnant”, you actually don’t have to “try”. Pregnancy is what WILL happen eventually if you are not ACTIVELY PREVENTING it. So, if a pregnancy is not in your plans right now, you will want to be active and intentional at preventing it. We have a lot of ground to cover so I will be discussing this topic in 2 separate posts. First, I will be discussing the Pill, Patch, Ring and Depo Provera. The 2nd post will cover long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) and sterilization.

  • The Pill– a medication you take by mouth once per day. There are MANY different pills currently available and there is some variation with how you may tolerate a certain pill and what side effects it may have. The 2 main types of pills are a combined pill containing both estrogen and progesterone and a progesterone-only pill. Some people cannot take estrogen safely due to their medical history but most women can use progesterone safely.
    • Pros: it only requires a prescription, you can start and stop at your leisure, most people are comfortable swallowing a pill. Additional benefits are periods often get lighter and shorter and may stop altogether if you take your pill continuously. Acne often improves as well.
    • Cons: it must be taken every day to be effective (ideally about the same time every day) which means there is a high rate of user error (i.e., failure). It has a higher potential to cause side effects than other methods because it is absorbed in the stomach. Side effects include headaches, mood swings, breast tenderness, nausea, and elevated blood pressure. Most of these side effects are mild and will resolve with time. It should be noted certain medications such as antibiotics can interfere with how well the pill works so always be sure to ask the pharmacist if medication you are prescribed will affect your birth control pill.
    • Myths: despite often being blamed for weight gain, birth control pills contribute very minimally to weight gain. Most of us will gain about 5-10lbs per year if we are not following a good diet and exercise program and unfortunately, The Pill is often blamed for this. Additionally, what is SURE to cause weight gain is PREGNANCY.

  • The Patch (Xulane)- an adhesive patch you place on your skin and change once per week. This medication contains hormones similar to The Pill (estrogen and progesterone) but you only need to remember to change the patch once per week instead of remembering a pill every day. As with The Pill, periods often get lighter and shorter. This method can also be used continuously to eliminate periods. Like the combined pill the patch also contains both estrogen and progesterone.
    • Pros: requires less user effort and is, therefore, less likely to be forgotten. Side effects can be like the pill but are often less because of how the medication is absorbed through the skin. Also, less likely to have reduced effectiveness due to other medications.
    • Cons: some people may notice they have trouble keeping the patch on or it may cause skin irritation. It still requires some effort on the part of the user to remove and replace the patches at the appropriate time to prevent an unplanned pregnancy.

  • The Ring (NuvaRing, Annovera)- a flexible, silicone ring that is placed in the vagina like a tampon. For NuvaRing, after 3 weeks the user would remove and dispose of the ring for 1 week and then replace it with a new ring (unless used continuously). Annovera is the newest vaginal ring and is meant to use the same ring for a full year. It can be removed for 1 week each month if the user desires a monthly period or used continuously for the full year. The ring is meant to stay in place during sex and should not be noticeable to the user or partner. Like the combined pill and the patch, both rings contain estrogen and progesterone.
    • Pros: even less user error than the pill or patch. Side effects are often even less than the pill and patch because of how the medication is absorbed through the vaginal walls. If using Annovera there is no need to pick up refills as the same ring is used for a full year. Again, periods are often lighter and shorter and may stop altogether if used continuously.
    • Cons: user must be comfortable inserting and removing the ring from the vagina. Some users report increased discharge. It does still require user effort so there remains a small failure rate due to improper use. Side effects can be like pills and the patch.

  • The Shot (Depo Provera)– a progesterone-only shot that is given in the arm every 3 months. There is no estrogen in the shot.
    • Pros: reduced user error compared to the pill/patch/ring. The user needs to only remember to come into the clinic during the appropriate time to get their injection every 3 months which amounts to 4 injections per year. Periods often stop altogether with this method.
    • Cons: does require the user to remember to come to the office at the correct time to stay current on the injections. This method is the only one that has been clearly linked to weight gain. Other side effects include potentially worsening depression as well as irregular bleeding. Typically, the bleeding improves the longer you use the method. This method can also be associated with a delay in becoming pregnant once the user stops getting the injections.

That’s it for the first post! Please check back next week for post #2 which is all about LARC (spoiler alert: these methods are THE BEST) and sterilization.

  • We are accepting new patients! To schedule an appointment with OBGYN Associates, call us at 515-288-3287. 

     

    DISCLAIMER: All information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as medical advice. OBGYN Associates shall not be liable for any errors or inaccuracies contained herein, or any actions taken in reliance thereon.

birth control

Hi! Dr. Jenkins here and I wanted to take a moment to chat about birth control! We have come A LONG WAY since having only The Pill as our primary option to prevent pregnancy. Certainly, The Pill remains a great option for many women but there are so many others out there. Birth control is not a one-size-fits-all class of medication, and it is important to remember that because a friend or family member did not like a particular method does not mean you would have the same experience. Often some trial and error are needed to find the method that is perfect for YOU. I would also like to note, that despite the popular phrase “trying to get pregnant”, you actually don’t have to “try”. Pregnancy is what WILL happen eventually if you are not ACTIVELY PREVENTING it. So, if a pregnancy is not in your plans right now, you will want to be active and intentional at preventing it. We have a lot of ground to cover so I will be discussing this topic in 2 separate posts. First, I will be discussing the Pill, Patch, Ring and Depo Provera. The 2nd post will cover long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) and sterilization.

  • The Pill– a medication you take by mouth once per day. There are MANY different pills currently available and there is some variation with how you may tolerate a certain pill and what side effects it may have. The 2 main types of pills are a combined pill containing both estrogen and progesterone and a progesterone-only pill. Some people cannot take estrogen safely due to their medical history but most women can use progesterone safely.
    • Pros: it only requires a prescription, you can start and stop at your leisure, most people are comfortable swallowing a pill. Additional benefits are periods often get lighter and shorter and may stop altogether if you take your pill continuously. Acne often improves as well.
    • Cons: it must be taken every day to be effective (ideally about the same time every day) which means there is a high rate of user error (i.e., failure). It has a higher potential to cause side effects than other methods because it is absorbed in the stomach. Side effects include headaches, mood swings, breast tenderness, nausea, and elevated blood pressure. Most of these side effects are mild and will resolve with time. It should be noted certain medications such as antibiotics can interfere with how well the pill works so always be sure to ask the pharmacist if medication you are prescribed will affect your birth control pill.
    • Myths: despite often being blamed for weight gain, birth control pills contribute very minimally to weight gain. Most of us will gain about 5-10lbs per year if we are not following a good diet and exercise program and unfortunately, The Pill is often blamed for this. Additionally, what is SURE to cause weight gain is PREGNANCY.

  • The Patch (Xulane)- an adhesive patch you place on your skin and change once per week. This medication contains hormones similar to The Pill (estrogen and progesterone) but you only need to remember to change the patch once per week instead of remembering a pill every day. As with The Pill, periods often get lighter and shorter. This method can also be used continuously to eliminate periods. Like the combined pill the patch also contains both estrogen and progesterone.
    • Pros: requires less user effort and is, therefore, less likely to be forgotten. Side effects can be like the pill but are often less because of how the medication is absorbed through the skin. Also, less likely to have reduced effectiveness due to other medications.
    • Cons: some people may notice they have trouble keeping the patch on or it may cause skin irritation. It still requires some effort on the part of the user to remove and replace the patches at the appropriate time to prevent an unplanned pregnancy.

  • The Ring (NuvaRing, Annovera)- a flexible, silicone ring that is placed in the vagina like a tampon. For NuvaRing, after 3 weeks the user would remove and dispose of the ring for 1 week and then replace it with a new ring (unless used continuously). Annovera is the newest vaginal ring and is meant to use the same ring for a full year. It can be removed for 1 week each month if the user desires a monthly period or used continuously for the full year. The ring is meant to stay in place during sex and should not be noticeable to the user or partner. Like the combined pill and the patch, both rings contain estrogen and progesterone.
    • Pros: even less user error than the pill or patch. Side effects are often even less than the pill and patch because of how the medication is absorbed through the vaginal walls. If using Annovera there is no need to pick up refills as the same ring is used for a full year. Again, periods are often lighter and shorter and may stop altogether if used continuously.
    • Cons: user must be comfortable inserting and removing the ring from the vagina. Some users report increased discharge. It does still require user effort so there remains a small failure rate due to improper use. Side effects can be like pills and the patch.

  • The Shot (Depo Provera)– a progesterone-only shot that is given in the arm every 3 months. There is no estrogen in the shot.
    • Pros: reduced user error compared to the pill/patch/ring. The user needs to only remember to come into the clinic during the appropriate time to get their injection every 3 months which amounts to 4 injections per year. Periods often stop altogether with this method.
    • Cons: does require the user to remember to come to the office at the correct time to stay current on the injections. This method is the only one that has been clearly linked to weight gain. Other side effects include potentially worsening depression as well as irregular bleeding. Typically, the bleeding improves the longer you use the method. This method can also be associated with a delay in becoming pregnant once the user stops getting the injections.

That’s it for the first post! Please check back next week for post #2 which is all about LARC (spoiler alert: these methods are THE BEST) and sterilization.

We are accepting new patients! To schedule an appointment with OBGYN Associates, call us at 515-288-3287. 

 

DISCLAIMER: All information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as medical advice. OBGYN Associates shall not be liable for any errors or inaccuracies contained herein, or any actions taken in reliance thereon.