The development of medicine in many areas has not been in vain. In addition to new therapies, drugs, and medical speci alties, scientific advances have given people many methods of contraception that were previously unknown. Their performance is measured using a measure known as the Pearl Index.
Modern contraception
Sexual literacy in the 21st century is an important component of a mature personality. Understanding how to protect yourself and your partner from illness or unwanted pregnancy is the first step to a he althy intimate life. A variety of contraceptives opens up a huge number of options and possibilities. But there is still a difference between them: firstly, their action is based on different principles, and secondly, not every method is suitable for every situation.
For example, condoms are more suitable for single and intermittent use, they protect against various diseases and infections with a sufficient degree of effectiveness, although not from all. Caps that work on the same principle will no longer become a barrier to pathogenic bacteria and viruses, and therefore are more suitable for couples,confident in each other.
Hormonal contraceptives are easy to use and can help women cope with some gynecological diseases. However, they have zero effectiveness in protecting the body from infection. As such, they are commonly used by long-term couples.
Another category is spermicides. Their action is based on the neutralization of spermatozoa with the help of various substances. This method also does not protect against diseases if it is not combined with barrier contraception.
So what to choose? It is worth, among other things, to pay attention to how well certain methods cope with their task.
Efficiency indicator - Pearl Index
When choosing a method of contraception that suits you, you should think not only about how convenient it will be to use it, but also take into account the degree of its reliability. To evaluate it, there is a Pearl index. Another name for it is the failure rate. As the name implies, the lower it is, the better.
For the first time, this method of calculating the effectiveness of contraceptives, which is still used today, was proposed in 1933 by the American biologist R. Pearl. Based on this indicator, as well as personal preferences and some other factors, it is worth choosing the method of protection for each particular couple.
How is it calculated?
The scoring method is very simple: 100 women use the same method of protection during each contact during the year. After this period is fixednumber of pregnancies. The lower the Pearl Index, the more effective the contraceptive method under study is considered.
Nevertheless, it is worth distinguishing between theoretical and practical reliability. Incorrect or careless application can cause the method to simply not work. So, the reliability of condoms, for example, depends on whether they were put on on time, whether there was any contact of the genitals before, whether the size is right, etc. That is why the failure rate is often indicated not as an exact number, but as a period of values.
So how does this all look in practice? The main methods of contraception are listed below, and opposite each item is the Pearl index. Table selected for clarity.
| Method | Performance rate |
| Barrier contraceptives (condoms, caps) | 2-25 |
| Hormonal (pills, patches, injections, rings) | 0, 1-5 |
| Natural ways (calendar, PAP, etc.) | 0, 3-40 |
| Spermicides and Coils | 0, 9-21 |
| Surgical | 0, 01-0, 4 |
Only large groups of family planning methods have been listed above. A little more about some of them, including their effectiveness, we will talk further.
Hormonal contraceptives
Special injections, patches, pills, rings, intrauterine devices - a huge variety of forms. Some of them require daily attention, others need to be remembered once a month.or even a quarter. For example, a hormonal ring - a contraceptive that has become popular relatively recently - is placed in the vagina and remains there for 3 weeks.
The essence of this category of contraceptives is to regulate the work of the reproductive system of a woman - she seems to "fall asleep". As a result, ovulation does not occur, cervical mucus thickens, and libido often even decreases. And although the latter is not a very desirable consequence, all these factors lead to a significant decrease in the likelihood of pregnancy.
Hormonal contraception is good for everyone, the only negative is that it has a lot of contraindications and side effects. Women who smoke, for example, risk the he alth of the hematopoietic system and blood vessels. There are other serious problems, so the appointment of any kind of hormonal drugs should only be carried out by a doctor after an examination. External examination, ultrasound, smear, several blood tests - that's what you may need to understand which contraceptives are suitable. The Pearl Index in theory for funds in this category is quite low - less than 1.
Exceptions are some methods of postcoital or emergency contraception, they can be neglected. However, in practice, it is still higher, since many women are not too careful when taking, skip or be late with pills, forget about reducing their effectiveness while using certain antibiotics, etc. Nevertheless, this still remains one of the mostreliable ways.
Condoms
Barrier contraceptives are less diverse than the previous group. And the most popular means of this category are condoms. By the way, there are their female counterparts, as well as special caps that are worn on the cervix, but they are much less common.
The indisputable advantage of condoms is that, while effective enough, they also protect against some STDs. This does not mean that you can not be afraid of any infection at all, but the likelihood of catching it is significantly reduced. The reliability of condoms, according to various data, ranges from 2 to 12. In fact, this is exactly the case when everything depends on the correct use. The product must be put on on time and correctly, and then the probability of pregnancy will be minimal. In addition, modern manufacturers often immediately put it in a spermicidal lubricant, thus further reducing the chances of an unexpected outcome.
Spermicides
This group includes two completely dissimilar methods at once. The first is gels, suppositories, lubricants and other means aimed at the chemical neutralization of spermatozoa. The second is an intrauterine device containing copper. The first, for all its simplicity of use, has several disadvantages. Firstly, it requires patience - in order for the funds to begin to act, you need to wait 10-15 minutes, and secondly, it has a relatively low efficiency - 3-21. The second requires a mandatory visit and consultationdoctor. But the reliability of the spiral is quite high - 0.9-3.
Surgical
This group includes extremely effective methods when, with the help of operations, a man or woman with almost a 100% guarantee is deprived of the opportunity to have offspring. Such interventions have a number of social restrictions in many countries and are considered quite serious. Fortunately, in most cases they are reversible.
Natural
The complex of methods belonging to this category includes those that are based primarily on how well a woman knows and feels her body. The fact is that the likelihood of pregnancy changes throughout the menstrual cycle. It is quite large during ovulation, which lasts about 72 hours, a week before it and the same after. The rest of the time, it is almost impossible to get pregnant.
Almost all methods of natural contraception are based on the fact that a woman fixes the time of ovulation in various ways and refrains from contact at this time. With skillful application and a combination of several methods, this can be quite effective, but not everyone wants to bother with daily schedules when you can simply take advantage of the achievements of medicine. For example, the already mentioned contraceptive ring can be picked up only once every 3 weeks, and in the case of injections, remember about them only 4 times a year. However, some people prefer to use their natural,natural resources, and that choice must also be respected.
