Planning is a universal way to organize any sphere of human life. And in order to decide on the birth of a child in the family, it is necessary to take care of such an area of intimate relations as protection. Modern contraception offers several ways to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
Prevention or abortion?
A person lives in order to give the world a continuation of himself, to prolong life on Earth. There are many discussions about the fact that conception is a unique gift of nature, which in any case should end with the birth of a child. But for many women, as well as for men, such a turn in life as pregnancy and the soon enough birth of a baby turns out to be completely unnecessary. And then the woman goes for an abortion - the forced removal of the zygote, embryo or fetus from the uterine cavity, this can be done before 12 weeks of pregnancy or until the fetal weight reaches 400grams. But abortion is the most severe intervention in the body of a woman, who, almost from the moment of conception, is preparing for the upcoming months of pregnancy, childbirth and lactation. Terminating a pregnancy means doing great harm to the he alth of a failed mother. That is why all specialists offer couples who do not aspire to become parents in the near future, modern methods of contraception for women and men.
Family Planning
The birth of a child is happiness in the family where his appearance is expected. But even loving parents in modern conditions should think about family planning so that the newborn does not become an obstacle in the life of young mothers and fathers, so that his he alth is maximally ensured by the he alth of his parents, the possibility of them observing all the conditions for a comfortable pregnancy. Responsible attitude to the moment of conception of the unborn child is the responsibility of future parents. Entering into intimate relationships, a man and a woman must understand what unprotected sex can lead to, and this is not only sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, but also the birth of a new life. Therefore, the life of a young family should begin with visiting specialists who will help determine the way to plan for the appearance of a new family member when future parents are ready for it.
Pregnancy planning takes place in several stages:
- visiting a GP or family doctor;
- testing (traditional): general and clinical blood count, urinalysis;
- visiting an endocrinologist,Thyroid ultrasound;
- consultation of a gynecologist, urologist or andrologist;
- Ultrasound of the pelvic organs;
- study for sexually transmitted infections;
- spermogram;
- determination of immunoglobulins for rubella virus, toxoplasmosis.
Moreover, during the period of passing the necessary procedures, examinations to determine the he alth status of future parents, one should think about means of protection against an unwanted pregnancy at the moment. This is family planning. Modern methods of contraception help to solve this problem without serious consequences.
Types of contraception
Until recently, the intimate sphere of human life was as closed as possible, the topic of conception, abortion, venereal diseases was considered something that is not customary to talk about out loud. But now these areas of human life, as well as modern contraception, have been discussed and available for study since school years. It is family planning, protection from unwanted pregnancy that allows couples to form a common life, provide the future baby with parental love, attention and care. Modern methods of contraception help in solving these problems. Their classification is extremely simple:
- barrier contraception;
- hormonal drugs;
- chemicals.
What method of protection to choose in each case - the specialist will recommend, especially since each group of contraceptives is quite extensive.
Greetings from the past
Since the beginning of centuries, humanity has been trying to somehow solve the issue of unplanned pregnancy. At first, the only and most accessible method was, as it is now called, the calendar method, in which a woman could "figure out" on which days she had the least chance of becoming pregnant. But this method of protection does not always work. After all, many nuances must be taken into account so that a full-fledged intimate relationship does not end with conception.
The temperature method, which provides for ovulation control, is similar to the calendar method of contraception. The method of its implementation consists in the daily measurement of rectal temperature in the morning after waking up - if it rises to 37.2 and above degrees, then a period favorable for conception has come.
Some couples use coitus interruptus to avoid getting sperm into the vagina and thus fertilizing the female egg.
Such ways to prevent unwanted pregnancy are unreliable and rarely practiced. Modern contraceptive principles provide a higher level of protection.
Obstacle in the way
Historically, the main responsibility for possible conception lies with the woman. But already in ancient Egypt, men used something similar to condoms - the main barrier that can protect against both conception and venereal pathogens. Modern contraception considers condoms to be quite an effective method of protection and from unnecessarypregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. Condoms designed for men can now be purchased not only in pharmacies, but also in ordinary supermarkets, and their range is so wide that it can satisfy any fantasies of partners regarding this element of the relationship.
Modern contraception for women suggests the use of femidon - the so-called female condom. The use of this element of barrier contraception is not widespread due to the discomfort that most women experienced using this type of condom. Men's products - the most common means of protection during sexual intercourse, condoms are made mainly of latex, which allows them to be used even by those who are allergic to rubber or synthetics. On the downside, many users of such funds note a decrease in sensitivity, which makes them the most accessible, but more often largely forced contraceptive.
Pills for every day
The following methods of contraception are considered modern by all specialists. These are birth control pills based on sex hormones called combined oral contraceptives. They are divided into three groups, in which the active components vary in their quantitative ratio:
- single-phase, in which the entire cycle of taking the drug in the body of a woman receives the same amount of gestagens and estrogens every day;
- two-phase, working daily on the samethe amount of estrogen, but at the same time, the rate of gestagens varies depending on the cycle formed by the drug;
- triphasic - the name speaks for itself, in which the combination of special substances changes three times, modulating a woman's natural menstrual cycle to an almost perfect state.
All these drugs are offered to women in a wide range. But it is better not to follow the advice of friends, but to get a recommendation from a gynecologist after collecting an anamnesis and necessary examinations.
COCs - combined oral contraceptives, always consist of 21 tablets packed in numbered cells. They should be taken in the given order, at the same time. Then the woman begins her menstrual period, which lasts a week. After this time, taking the tablets should be resumed. The work of this group of drugs is based on the inhibition of ovulation processes. These drugs inhibit the maturation of the egg, suppress the production of luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones in the pituitary gland, and also prevent the advancement of spermatozoa to the egg by changing the properties of the natural secretion of the female genital tract - the lubricant becomes thicker and more viscous.
Modern contraception is based on this group of drugs, as they are constantly being improved, allowing not only to protect a woman from unwanted pregnancy, but also to normalize the natural menstrual cycle. That is why many three-phase COCs are used in the treatment of many gynecological problems.
Another kind of pill
Modernhormonal contraception is not only complex preparations based on combinations of hormones or hormone-like substances, but also the so-called mini-pills. This is the name of monopreparations that work only on progestin - a synthetic analogue of progesterone. The name of this group of contraceptives indicates their feature - they contain the minimum amount of the active component. This makes the mini-pill a fairly gentle contraceptive, suitable for women who are breastfeeding, suffering from cardiac vascular diseases, and older women who smoke. Modern methods of contraception, which also includes pills with a minimum content of progestin, try to limit the adverse effects of their use on the human body as much as possible. So mini-pills contain only 400 to 500 micrograms of the functional component in each tablet, which you need to take one at a time at the same time of day all days in a row, regardless of the appearance of menstruation. Experts estimate the effectiveness of these funds at the level of 93-95%.
Hormones from outside
Hormonal background is a complex combination of interconnected work of all organs and systems of the body. And the reproductive system is directly dependent on hormones. The work of many contraceptives uses the ability of this group of biologically active substances to regulate the maturation of the egg and its movement towards spermatozoa, the process of fertilization and implantation of the future fetus into the uterine cavity. Modern types of contraception,working specifically on hormones are quite diverse, and in addition to tablets taken orally, a portion of contraceptive biological substances can be obtained without swallowing drugs. These types include the so-called transdermal contraceptives:
- patches applied to the skin - 3 weeks of protection with hormones gradually released into the woman's body, and a week for menstruation;
- subcutaneously inserted capsules that release a certain dose of anti-pregnancy hormones over 5 years;
- A monthly vaginal ring that blocks ovulation.
Modern methods of contraception operate with the most affordable methods of contraception, not only preserving the woman's he alth, but also saving her time as comfortably as possible so as not to worry about taking the drug on time.
Lock from within
It happens that a woman does not want or cannot take even minimal doses of hormonal drugs, use condoms or any other methods of protection against unwanted pregnancy. Then modern contraceptives offer her such a method of protection as an intrauterine device. It is a simple plastic structure, somewhat reminiscent of the letter T, wrapped in several places with a special wire consisting of an alloy of copper and silver. This device to protect against unwanted pregnancy is placed in he althy women who already have children. IUD prevents anchoringfertilized egg in the walls of the uterus, and also slows down the movement of sperm along the uterine tract. The intrauterine device can only be inserted and removed by a specialist. Many believe that such a contraceptive is the most effective and safe, while others, on the contrary, speak of the IUD as a harmful and uncomfortable way to protect against pregnancy. A huge plus for all women is only the duration of the spiral and its non-interference in the cycle of menstruation.
Chemistry to help
Modern methods of contraception today are hard to imagine without drugs that work on the basis of chemicals that paralyze spermatozoa, the so-called spermicides. The pharmacological form of such drugs is different - ointments, suppositories, tablets, gels. Combines them two points:
- they are used vaginally;
- used just before or after intercourse.
Such drugs are intended mainly for women who have a rare sexual life. These modern contraceptives are less reliable in comparison with any other drugs, since the active ingredient in them still works locally and for too short a time. And therefore, if the drug in the vagina did not get in the way of spermatozoa, then pregnancy, under all other favorable conditions, is unlikely to be avoided. In addition, many women note that the chemicals used in spermaceti preparations have an irritating effect on the genital mucosa of both the woman and her partner.
What will happen?
Modern contraceptives are constantly being improved, improving quality and removing possible side effects, so as not only to protect against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, but also not to have a negative effect on human he alth. Experts are striving to make such drugs reliable, both in protection against pregnancy and STDs, and in protection against HIV. In addition to women's drugs, experts are also developing products for men, for example, hormone-based injections that allow you not to worry about the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy for a long time (up to 2 months).
How to choose a protection method?
Modern contraception - a wide world of possibilities to avoid an unplanned pregnancy. All the means available to man today have their advantages and disadvantages. The most trivial method of protection is a condom. One of the latest innovations is the hormonal patch. All contraceptives and drugs are dispensed from pharmacies at the request of the buyer. But as for hormone-based drugs, you need to get expert advice on them. Only a doctor will help you choose exactly the contraceptive that will help you avoid pregnancy and will not harm your he alth. It is almost impossible to choose the right drug on your own, and using the advice of friends who use certain hormonal contraceptive pills is a gross violation of a he althy attitude towards yourown he alth. It is noteworthy that the entire civilized world is concerned about the problems of contraception, and therefore in 2017, by a joint decision of 10 world organizations related to family planning, it was decided to establish on September 26 the International Day of Contraception, which is also celebrated in our country.
