I went to a remote area in Ibadan today to look at my farm. Yes, I am a farmer but I am not the one doing the planting and harvesting, I have a few people who assist me since the labor there is almost free provided they can use my land to plant certain crops that do not grow tall and do not require lots of sun, and in return they help plant crops that i need for me. So it is more of like a trade by barter thing but in all the fun, I saw that the young girls in the community were either nursing mothers, already have children in a large number, or are currently pregnant.
This broke my heart as I expected that they should be in school. While I was having a conversation with someone, he made mention of the fact the ladies do not have enough exposure or do not know how to prevent pregnancy and thus they find themselves in such mess. Funny enough, they were all living in their parent's houses which meant that the person responsible for the pregnancy is either irresponsible or denied the pregnancy.
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In this post, I want to look at the method to prevent pregnancy and either you are reading this post so you can have an idea, or so you can learn for knowledge purposes, you are on the right track. So let's begin. I will start with the least safe to the most safe method, so enjoy the ride.
Pull out method or withdrawal method is a very common method with young boys who do not want to get a lady pregnant and do not intend to use contraceptives like condom. They believe it is very safe and they do it very often and it is when the male withdraw the penis before ejaculation to prevent pregnancy. While withdrawal method is one that some people prefer, it has been seen to have a high failure rate with about 22 to 27 out of 100 people getting pregnant yearly.
Using Cervical cap is another method for preventing pregnancy. This method is an obstructive method that covers the cervix and filled with spermicides which kill sperms. This cap has to be in the cervix before and after coitus and people can develop serious reaction in the process of using it. With proper fitting and placement, it can be up to 71% safe with some studies saying it has a failure rate of about 2%. That is not confirmed because of cases where it is not fixed properly.
The one almost everyone is familiar with is what we are talking about now and that is condoms. This is of two types, the male and female condom with the male condom being so popular that most people do not know there is a female one. When used correctly, it is 95% safe and prevents pregnancy effectively. The female condom which is less common with rings at both end require proper teaching in other to use it correctly and if used correctly, it obstructs the sperm from going into the vagina and it can be safe up to 95%. People with latex allergies can develop reactions to this type of condoms.
Morning After Pills (Emergency Pills) is another contraceptive and as the name implies, it is for emergencies where the female didn't expect to have sex. It can be used within 72 hours of unprotected bed loving but the earlier it is used the better. But if you want to use a contraceptive for long term solution, then Contraceptive Implant is a better option as it is imputed into the arm for up to 5 years. This releases hormones that thickens the prevents the cervical mucus and prevents ovulation and it has a less than 1% failure chance. Side effect includes weight gain, tenderness of the breast, irregular periods, and acne. When there are side effects, it is important to discuss with your doctor so they can know how to guide you.
Copper IUD is another contraceptive method where copper is inserted into the Uterine area. With this, it kills sperm and prevents egg implantation and fertilization, and it can last for up to 10 year with 99% effectiveness. Some copper IUD have hormones in them that prevents ovulation causes the cervical to be thick, and hostile to sperm and it is 99%+ effective.
There is the contraceptive pills, and this is not the morning after pills. This one is to be taken on a daily basis. It causes the cervix to be thick, prevents the release of egg from the ovaries. Additional importance of this pill is that it reduces menstrual symptoms and ovarian cancer. While it is 99% safe, people an forget to take their pills on certain days and with this, it can lead to pregnancy.
There is also the hormonal injection that works by releasing hormones similar to the implant but this time around it is injected and it has to be used every three month. It can come with side effects like nausea, breast tenderness, and irregular periods and they are 99% effective. But if you are looking for methods that are almost 100% effective, then let's shoot but to this, you need to discuss with your partner properly and be certain that your decision is final with little to no reversal.
Bilateral Tubal Ligation is the first I will be discussing and as the name implies, ligation means cutting. This is the cutting of the fallopian tubes which supplies eggs to the womb on both sides. On the male side is Vasectomy which was discussed in my previous post. This is still somehow reversible but it is still has its complication especially for people who have done it for more than 10 years.
Since you could be patient enough t read this to the end, it will be good that I give you a bonus point. There is one way to prevent pregnancy 100% in our world, and that method is known as Abstinence. I am sure that with this, you should be informed and know the choices you would prefer.
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4254803/
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/cervical-cap
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7099129/
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/condoms
https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/condoms/
https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/internal-condoms/
https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/contraceptive-implant/
https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/emergency-contraception/
https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/iud-coil/what-is-it/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557403/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430882/
https://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/birth-control-pills
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/contraceptive-injection
https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/contraception/contraceptive-injection/
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/266799-overview
https://med.emory.edu/departments/gynecology-obstetrics
