Birth Control
Students now have the option of making an appointment to discuss birth control options with a peer counselor prior to seeing a healthcare provider. Please contact any of the following counselors for more information:
Lauren Bishop
[email protected]
Phone 707-391-2080Claudia Lopez
[email protected]Sophi Newman
[email protected]Autumn Rose Burnes
[email protected]Christina Warner
[email protected]
For help in selecting a birth control method see
Method Match or Birth Control Options
More options for birth control are available than in all prior history. The following methods protect against unplanned pregnancies to varying degrees.
Combined Hormonal Contraception – contain estrogen and progestin
Note: not usually recommended for women with migraines or those who smoke; women who are overweight may have an increased risk of blood clots when using these methods. You must ALSO use a condom to protect yourself against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
NuvaRing
Advantages: very effective, convenient, lowest estrogen
levels. Disadvantages: may be expensive without insurance,
no STI protection.
Ortho-Evra Patch
Caution: FDA warning due to
high blood estrogen levels. Vaden does
not recommend this method except under
special circumstances. Advantages: very effective, convenient.
Disadvantages: may have increased risk of blood clots, no
STI protection.
Progestin Only Contraception
Note: safer options for women who smoke or who have migraines.
Mirena Intrauterine Contraception (IUC)
Small
t-shaped device
containing
progestin that
is inserted
by a clinician,
can be removed
at any time
if pregnancy is desired.
Advantages: the most effective reversible
form of contraception that there is (along with the
Paragard, see below),provides at least 5
years of birth control, convenient; decreased vaginal bleeding.
Disadvantages: chance of spontaneous expulsion, upfront cost
may be high unless covered by insurance, no STI protection.
Implanon Implant
Recently approved method that consists of a single rod inserted
into the arm. Advantages: highly effective, insertion takes less than
5 minutes, lasts 3 years. Disadvantages: requires a clinician for insertion
and removal, may result in irregular bleeding, no STI protection.
Depo-Provera
Injection of medroxyprogesterone given once every
12 weeks. FDA black box warning regarding bone density. Some
authorities suggest that Depo-Provera should only be used for
2 years because of possible bone loss, but it is currently
thought that bone density returns to normal after the method
is discontinued. Vaden does not recommend except under special
circumstances. Advantages: very effective, convenient, most
women stop having periods after 6 months of use. Disadvantages:
irregular bleeding the first year, weight gain, depression,
acne, vaginal dryness, bone thinning, no STI protection.
Progestin-Only Pills
POPs alter the uterine lining to prevent implantation
of fertilized egg; must be taken at the same time every day.
Vaden does not really recommend except under special circumstances
due to high failure rate. Advantages: no estrogen. Disadvantages:
may cause vaginal bleeding, must be taken at the same time
every day to avoid pregnancy, no STI protection.
Other Methods
Copper 7 Intrauterine Contraceptive (IUC)
Small device inserted into the uterus by a clinician. Advantages:
highly effective method of birth control, good for at least 10
years. Disadvantages: may increase vaginal bleeding, risk of spontaneous
expulsion, no STI protection.
Male and Female Condoms
Male and female condoms prevent sperm from reaching
the egg. Recommended to protect against HIV and some STIs.
Offer no protection against STI’s
spread by touching. Advantages: readily available over the counter, very effective
if used with a spermicide. Disadvantages: irritation to both men and women,
male condoms can break or come off during sex, should be used with spermicide.
Spermicides
Gels, creams and foam can be put into the vagina to enhance the
efficacy of the male condom, or they can be used alone for birth control.
The sponge, cervical cap and diaphragm keep the spermicide near the cervical
opening. Advantages: very effective if used with a condom, readily available,
no systemic side effects. Disadvantages: not very effective if used alone,
irritation of the male and female genitals; increased incidence of vaginal
and bladder infections, may increase the risk of HIV transmission.
Diaphragms, Cervical Caps, Lea’s Shield, FemCap
A diaphragm is a rubber, dome-shaped device placed into the
vagina to hold spermicide around the cervix. The cervical cap fits
directly on the cervix. Both are used with spermicide,
require female involvement only, and can be inserted ahead of time.
Lea’s Shield and FemCap are not commonly
used in the US. Advantages: very effective. Disadvantages: must be used
accurately and consistently, require fitting by a clinician, bladder infections,
irritation from spermicide.
Emergency Contraception
Plan B – the “morning after” pill – can be
taken up to 72 hours after an unprotected encounter. Advantages: very effective
when taken immediately, well-tolerated, all women can use it safely, now available
without a prescription for women over the age of 18. Disadvantages: efficacy
declines as time elapses since the unprotected encounter, causes irregular
bleeding, not as effective as some other long term methods.
Under certain circumstances combined oral contraceptives
or insertion of a copper releasing intrauterine device are
used for emergency contraception.
Rhythm Method
Requires that couples calculate woman’s fertility
cycle and abstain from intercourse during ovulation. Advantages:
fairly effective. Disadvantages: requires training and strict
adherence to the program, not very useful for women with
irregular cycles.
Abstinence
Abstinence means that you choose
to not be sexually active. Advantages:
fullproof method, no costs, no systemic
side effects. Disadvantages: requires strict adherence to
avoid pregnancy.
Additional Useful Information:
- Combined hormonal pills and Nuvaring can often be started using a “Quick Start” approach (i.e. you can start anytime in your cycle as long as you are reasonably sure you are not pregnant and you use a backup method or abstinence for 7 days). A pap smear is not required in order to start birth control. Talk to your clinician for more information.
- Combined hormonal pills and Nuvaring can often be used continuously to decrease the number of periods. Talk to your clinician for more information.
- If you have a seizure disorder, TB, skin or nail fungal infections, HIV infection, or depression, your medications may interfere with your birth control method. Talk to your clinician for more information.
- WARNING: St John’s Wort, an over-the-counter medication used for depression reduces the effectiveness of birth control pills.
- It is no longer accepted that an interaction between birth control pills and antibiotics exist.