Birth control

a. Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding causes a hormonal reaction that delays (yet, won’t preclude) the resumption of ovulation in most cases. However, research indicates that ovulation resumes in 6% of women during the first menstrual period after birth, which renders this method somehow unreliable.

b. Rhythm: Consists in determining the fertile days of the menstrual cycle. To accomplish that, proceed as follows: keep a record of several menstrual cycles to estimate their average duration. It can be successfully applied with women with regular periods. In short, this method involves abstaining from sexual intercourse during the fertile days which, depending on menstrual cycle length, roughly are days 10 to 18 of the period, counting from the first day of the menstrual cycle.

c. Basal body temperature: Involves measuring oral or vaginal temperature at rest every day at the same time of the day immediately upon awakening. Fertile days are determined by increases of body temperature ranging between 0.2 and 0.5 °C: from one or two days before to three days after the temperature raise, during which time sexual intercourse is to be avoided. After that period of time, sexual relations may be resumed.

d. Cervical mucus or Billings method: This natural method involves determining ovulation based on the absence or presence of vaginal discharge or cervical mucus. In this case, you have to identify mucus characteristics in your fertile days, namely: stretchy, clear and abundant. Sexual intercourse should be avoided starting two days before the appearance of such ovulatory mucus and two days after disappearance.

e. Symptothermic: It consists in combining two or more natural methods to enhance effectiveness of birth control.

2. Anticoncepción por métodos artificiales:

a. Coitus interruptus. This method is controlled by the male partner and consists in withdrawing the penis before ejaculation takes place.

b. Cervical cap or diaphragm: To be worn by women, cervical caps may cause irritations are not so easily available in the market. This is a usually rubber or plastic thimble-shaped cap that fits snugly over the uterine cervix and blocks sperm from entering the uterus. It may or may not have spermicide.

c. Prophylactic or condom: To be worn by men, prophylactics are more commonly made of rubber, and may or may not have spermicide. As it covers the penis, it prevents semen from getting into the vagina. It must be worn before sexual intercourse. It may cause irritations to both men and women.

d. IUD (Copper T): This device is inserted into the uterus. It is a T-shaped plastic device with different materials such as copper or copper and silver and nylon or metal filaments. It is placed inside the uterus, a procedure made by a gynecologist. Premenstrual days are the most convenient for placement. Depending on the type, an IUD lasts from 5 to 7 years; as a result, this is the most cost-effective of all contraception methods.

Inconveniences and/or contraindications include increased menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, and ectopic (out of womb) pregnancy.

e. Tubal ligation: Surgical intervention practiced on the woman that consists in tying or cutting both fallopian tubes to prevent sperms from reaching ovaries and eggs from reaching the uterus. As this is a permanent method, women have to be pretty sure she no longer wants to have babies, as it is reversible in only 70% of cases.

f. Birth control pill: Pills contain a compound of estrogen and progesterone in different proportions to prevent ovulation and regulate menstrual cycles. It is a very reliable method if no pill dose is ever omitted. Many women report side effects including nausea, vomiting, or bleeding between periods, but today the great variety of pills results in the existence of a right pill for virtually each woman to avoid side effects.

g. Birth Control Shots. Depending on the dose, its contraceptive effectiveness may last one to three months. Progesterone is injected in the woman’s arm or gluteus (as appropriate.) It is very effective –less than one pregnancy per 100 women per year.

h. Foams or jellies: Very similar to diaphragms as they are also mechanical contraceptive barriers. Foams, which have a synthetic sponge dampened with spermicide, are placed in the uterine cervix before sexual intercourse and are kept there 6 or 8 hours afterwards. Vaginal jellies, foams, creams or suppositories placed into the vagina minutes before sexual intercourse kill sperms. However, it is not a very reliable method.

i. Implants (Norplant): Implanon is a matchstick-size rod implanted in the upper arm that steadily releases a small amount of the hormone progestin to prevent ovulation for about three years.

j. Vasectomy: It is a simple surgical intervention consisting in cutting or tying off the vas deferens to prevent the passage of sperms. It has 99.5% effectiveness