Birth control can generally be broken up into two categories: hormonal birth control and non-hormonal birth control.
Hormonal birth control includes the following:
- Contraceptive pill
- Birth control patch
- Vaginal Ring
- Birth control shot
- Implant
- Hormonal IUD
Non-hormonal alternatives include:
- Spermicide
- Male condoms
- Female condoms
- Diaphragm
- Cervical cap
- Birth control sponge
- Copper IUD
- Withdrawal method
- Fertility Awareness method
Hormonal Birth Control
Hormonal contraceptives work by releasing a small amount of human-made female hormones into the body; different proportions of estrogen and progestin hormones are released for different contraceptives. This, in turn, inhibits your body’s ability to produce natural hormones.
This works to prevent pregnancy in the following ways:
- It stops the body from ovulating. Pregnancy occurs when a mature egg is released from your ovaries (ovulation), and it is fertilized by a sperm. By preventing ovulation, it is impossible to get pregnant.
- It changes the consistency of cervical mucus. Cervical mucus (also known as discharge) creates an environment that is optimal for sperm survival and movement. Changing the consistency makes it difficult for sperm to find an egg.
- Some contraceptives affect the uterine lining, making it thinner. This means that a fertilized egg will struggle to be implanted.
It is generally believed that hormonal contraceptives balance your hormones and stabilize your period, while the reality is vastly different. Different hormonal contraceptives have slightly different mechanisms, but the idea stays the same: they trick your body into thinking it has released hormones that are actually synthetic, while stopping it from releasing its own hormones. Furthermore, menstruation occurs when an egg that has been released fails to become fertilized; therefore, when contraceptives prevent ovulation, it results in the lack of menstruation. The bleeding that then occurs is therefore not a real period. Hence, hormonal contraceptives do quite the opposite: they disrupt your hormones and stop your period.
While they may temporarily help with certain hormonal problems, they do so by covering the actual problem, much like a plaster, and as soon as a person stops taking the contraceptive, the problem will return.
That being said, hormonal birth control is easier to use perfectly, and, as such, easier to use at its optimal efficiency.
Hormonal Birth Control: Side Effects
There are many side effects that may come along with the use of hormonal contraceptives, including:
- Weight gain
- Headaches
- Sore breasts
- Mood changes
- Changes in libido
- Nausea
- Acne
- Irregular periods
While some of these side effects go away after a while, some may persist until after the person stops using the contraceptive, or even some time after.
Note that hormonal contraceptives do not block STD transmission.
Non-Hormonal Alternatives
Most non-hormonal birth control options can be described as “barrier methods”. This means that while hormonal contraceptives work by affecting hormone levels, and therefore preventing pregnancy, non-hormonal contraceptives prevent pregnancy by creating a physical barrier between the uterus and the sperm. Since pregnancy can only occur when sperm reaches and fertilizes an egg, preventing sperm from reaching the uterus stops this from happening.
Some alternatives work differently: the copper IUD releases copper that changes the cervical mucus and makes it hard for implantation to occur, spermicide kills sperm, and withdrawal method prevents sperm from entering the body completely.
Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) is presumably the most complex non-hormonal alternative. It works by tracking different bodily signs (such as cervical mucus and basal body temperature) throughout your cycle to pinpoint ovulation and act accordingly. By determining when you ovulate, and when your fertile window is, it is possible to know when it is safe to have unprotected sex, and when to use other methods. FAM is therefore generally combined with other non-hormonal methods.
Most barrier methods are slightly less effective than hormonal birth control, but some methods, such as FAM and Perfect Withdrawal (withdrawal a minute or more before ejaculation, etc), when followed correctly, can be just as effective. Furthermore, some contraceptives can be used in combination with others.
Non-hormonal contraceptives can also result in some side effects, such as irritation. The copper IUD often makes menstruation heavier and more painful, and can result in infection.
Condoms prevent STD transmission, but the other alternatives do not.
There is no perfect contraceptive, and it is important to educate yourself about your options and make the right choice for you and your body. Furthermore, one of the most important aspects of contraceptives is using it properly and in the way it was intended to be used; this will insure the highest possible effectiveness.
