Contraceptives and Pregnancy

  Part of the responsibility of being sexually active is taking a decision on when to get pregnant. Gone are the days when unplanned/ unwanted pregnancy should frequently occur, yet this is not the case in Nigeria because among Nigerian women who are sexually active, 1 in 7 women have tried to have an abortion contributing to Nigeria having one of the highest maternal mortality rates (death of pregnant women) in the world. Many women who want to know about contraception are scared off by all the inaccurate gist and half-truths, a lot of ‘they said, she said’ and also feel ashamed to walk into a a pharmacy or hospital to ask for contraception.(read about questions young women ask about sex here).

Many women tell stories of how they've been told that using antibiotics such as Ampiclox (ampicillin +cloxacillin) by Beecham can prevent pregnancy. Please know that using Ampiclox cannot prevent pregnancy and this is a case of drug abuse; ampiclox cannot kill sperm or prevent or stop a pregnancy.

What are Contraceptives? These are drugs or medical devices used to prevent pregnancy (ie. conception). Contraceptives can be either temporary or permanent; since most people want temporary contraception, let's discuss those.
Most contraceptives contain hormones, while a few do not. The Hormonal Methods contain drugs that look like one or two of your natural female reproductive hormones called progesterone and oestrogen. These methods include:
1. Oral contraceptive pills: There are two types, the combined oral contraceptives which is a daily pill containing two low dose hormones, one estrogen and one progestogen. A brand to buy is Levofem. There is also the progestogen only contraceptives called the mini-pill which is also taken daily but contains only one low dose hormone and works best if you're breastfeeding a baby.

2. Injection/injectable contraceptives: Did you know that there are injections which can be used to prevent pregnancy for 1, 2 or 3 months? These injections contain one progestogen hormone but I quite prefer the three month option, as it means you will only take 4 injections in a year. You can ask your health provider for the one called Sayana Press because the needle is very small and the dose of the hormone is lower than in any other 3-month contraceptive injection.
This injection is convenient and a good choice for women who usually forget to take their contraceptive pills daily. It is also good for women who because of their health status, should not take oestrogen containing medicines (eg. women breastfeeding babies younger than 6 months or women at risk of thromboembolism (blood clot in the veins). This method is affordable and you can quickly get a shot in a pharmacy or hospital near you and stop worrying about pregnancy for the next 3 months.

3. Contraceptive Implant: This is a tiny flexible rod (smaller and thinner than a matchstick) that is inserted under the skin of your upper arm by a health professional and contains a progestogen hormone which is released slowly into your body system. This type of contraceptive can work for 3-5 years after insertion and you can ask your provider to remove it for you anytime you are ready to get pregnant.

The first three are the major, easily available hormonal methods, but others include:
4. Trans-dermal patches: This is a patch that releases hormones that you can stick to your skin and you'll need to change it every week for 3 weeks. By the fourth week, you will remove the patch and your menstruation will arrive during that fourth week. (N.b: This method is not yet available in Nigeria)
5. Vaginal rings: This is a flexible silicone ring that contains hormones and is inserted into your vagina for three weeks and then removed in the fourth week. Menstruation will occur during the fourth week, (N.b: This method is not yet available in Nigeria)
6. Intra Uterine Systems (IUS): is an small T-shaped device that contains hormones and is placed by a specially trained doctor into your womb to prevent pregnancy and has some additional advantages. (This method is available but not yet common  in Nigeria)

       On the other hand, you may decide that you do not want any benefits from using hormones, or your health provider may decide for you, because your health status will not permit you to use such.There are two types of non-hormonal contraceptives, they are:

1. Condoms-There are many different types of condoms (Coloured, dotted, textured, flavoured...) so there's fun in trying a different type every time you have sex. Remember, condoms are the only contraceptives that can prevent both pregnancy and STIs.
                                    

2. Intra-Uterine Devices (IUDs): IUD is a small device that does not contain hormones and is placed by a specially trained doctor into your womb to prevent pregnancy. This method is very effective and safe for many women and starts working immediately it is inserted and stops working once it is removed.

Ps: To learn about emergency contraceptives (#aftersex pills), read here.

Permanent Methods
Most Nigerians are scared of permanent methods, but think about it, when you're in your 50's and raising your grandchildren (especially for men), you don't want  that 23 year old gal you're playing around with showing up with your newborn child. For women, you may have given birth to 4 to 8 kids and decided that enough is enough, and you do not want to become a baby factory. For either of you, there's

1. Vasectomy (for men): It involves cutting and closing off the sperm ducts(tubes) to prevent sperm flow. It does not affect erection or ejaculation.
2. Tubal ligation (for women): This is known as tying your tubes- fallopian tubes are the egg transport system). It does not disturb sexual relations or reduce arousal.

Using contraceptives is a legal and responsible decision for every sexually active man or woman to make, so what's stopping you? Got questions or you need advice deciding what to use, Email: pharmacistreny@gmail.com

Find more interesting health articles like this at: www.pharmacistreny.com (Don't forget to leave a comment.)