Choosing Contraceptives - which one is for me???

One can easily get confused when choosing the kind of contraceptive one wants to use to prevent unwanted pregnancy. So, to make things easier for you, here is a go-to guide for picking out the best contraceptive as per your needs.

• If you are looking for something that is cheap, effective and reliable to prevent both STDs and unwanted pregnancy, choose the condom. It’s available easily in all medical shops and comes in exciting flavours as well. But be careful that it has to be used only for one session and cannot be reused. Proper disposal is necessary. One can opt for both male and female condoms.

• If buying condoms every time seems a hassle to you, you can consult your doctor and go for a cervical cap or a diaphragm, used in combination with a spermicide. It can be washed and used multiple times and can last for 2 years, however, it is a lot more expensive to use when compared with condoms.

• If using the above suggested methods still seem annoying to you because one has to be either always carrying it with them and put it on just before having intercourse, which may reduce sexual pleasure (as it acts as a barrier for creativity and spontaneity when aroused), then one should go for using a vaginal ring as its good to go for a fairly long time, i.e. 21 days and easy on the pocket too. In addition, the success rate is even better than a condom and is easy to use.

• Some women may prefer to use oral contraceptive pills of either type that the doctor may prescribe to them. The only drawback is that one has to be very punctual with taking the pills every day and make it a point to never skip it any day. Also, it is easily available in pharmacies and is easy on your wallet too.

• If putting on a fresh condom multiple times in a single session is a cumbersome affair for you and your partner, you can choose a vaginal ring. One does not have to use a spermicide with it as it itself releases it. However, it is not such a good option for women who have already had a child. Moreover, it is a bit expensive since it is not reusable.

• You have intercourse in the spur of the moment, carefree and indulgent, but you did not use any of the contraceptives due to either non-availability or uncontrollable passion. In such a case, do not worry and just walk in to your nearest pharmacy and buy an emergency contraceptive pill (commonly known as i-pill). In addition, if your partner withdrew before ejaculation, it is better to take an emergency contraceptive pill as a precautionary measure. It is priced reasonably and works better if you take it as soon as possible within 72 hours. It has a few side effects and may disturb your menstrual cycle for 2-3 months.

• If you are planning to space between two children or avoid pregnancy for coming 3 years, an implant is all you need to get embedded in your arm by a registered medical practitioner. It has almost 100% success rate with a very few exceptions and thus is one of the best long-term contraception plan in the market.

• If these methods of either placing something in your body or ingesting some pills do not appeal to you then the best available painless and hassle-free method of contraception for you is the contraceptive patch, which is to be pasted on any of the prescribed body part and simply replaced with a fresh every week for three consecutive weeks. Then one week is to be a patch free one after which the cycle can be continued. Each patch is reasonably priced and more effective than many other available methods.

• Another such cheap and effective method, which lasts for a longer duration of 3 months, is a birth control shot. The only drawback is once you take this shot it affects your fertility for a year so it is not advisable if you want to get pregnant in near future.

• If you plan to not get pregnant for a very long time, like 3-10 years, it is recommended to get an IUD if you are not allergic to copper. For such a long duration contraception, the IUD is very cheap when compared to other available options in market.

• Once you decide to not have any children in future, you or your partner can go for sterilisation surgery. The only drawback is that it is irreversible and thus needs to be done after a thoughtful discussion with your partner. It is reasonably priced and can even be free if you choose to get it done in a government hospital. However, you can always go for an IVF procedure if you change your mind after the surgery and want children.