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Birth control is the first important step woman must take toward the goal of her freedom. It is the first step she must take to be man’s equal. It is the first step they must both take toward human emancipation. MARGARET SANGER
Birth Control is such a broad and important topic, yet most people have zero clue on how any of it works.
If you’re considering starting yourself on birth control or switching to a different method I’m bringing you all of the methods I could find, one article at a time (some aren’t even officially listed on many health sites). Before you start birth control, get yourself a few apps or calendars to keep up with your period, ovulation, and birth control method if applicable
The Implant
This is by far the most effective, it’s on average a 5 year treatment that you don’t have to deal with once it’s in place. It’s planted under the skin on your upper arm by a medical professional.
The implant works in a very interesting way, hormones are released to prevent pregnancy in a 2 step process.
The first way is through making the mucus on your cervix thicker, thus creating a glue trap effect for sperm as they make their way towards the egg. If the sperm can’t make its way to the egg, there’s no pregnancy.
The second way shuts down the release of your egg, this is what happens during ovulation which is the most likely time you can get pregnant. So if something happens and the first step doesn’t stop the sperm from getting in, the second step makes sure there’s no reward for getting through.
Even though there’s a five year window of effectiveness for the implant, you can remove it at any time in that window.
STD/STI Prevention
Currently, the implant doesn’t double as an STD/STI prevention so condoms are still suggested and regular testing of any partners or yourself.
Effectiveness
I have this listed first because it’s 99% effective. A lot of them are about that effectiveness, but, this also takes out the human error aspect of birth control. It’s in the skin until you get it removed. That means you can’t forget to take it or use it the wrong way. Human error is the biggest cause of unwanted pregnancy.
Keep in mind it’s not 100% effective but it is the most effective.
Interesting note about the implant, if you get it when you’re in the first 4-5 days of your period, it’s effective immediately. If you’re not of your period, or in the last day or two, you should use an alternative method of birth control (condoms) for about a week to insure that the implant has time to start working on implementing the hormones used to make it effective.
Accessibility and Cost
Birth Control is accessible in a majority of the world.It’s legal in the ENTIRE United States. There is no logical excuse for not using birth control. Religious reasons aren’t logical reasons, those are emotional. Health reasons are logical and I know some of you don’t want to deal with the hormone imbalance they can cause, but we can discuss that later.
The implant is covered by most insurances as well as medicaid and other government health plans. You can get the implant at your OBGYN, General Physician, as well as Planned Parenthood.
If you don’t have insurance, I highly suggest looking into your local health department or Planned Parenthood. Both offer options for every budget and often way lower prices than your standard doctor.
The Implant has a steep price for insertion and removal if you’re going out of pocket and using a regular doctor’s office. Ranging from $0 (with insurance) to $3000, it can cost a good bit. Depending on the doctor you use, that could cover the cost of the exam and other screenings the doctor may do.
Family planning medicaid (U.S.) is a great option that most people qualify for if you can’t afford insurance through a private company.
Insertion
The process is fairly painless, it’s mainly a sting from a needle to numb the area and then some soreness for a day or so after it’s implanted. Possible bruising in the area that it’s placed.
Removal
The process is the same to remove it as it is to insert it.
Side Effects
This is the part that people use as an excuse to not get birth control.
It does take some time for the body to adjust to the hormones introduced to the body. For the most part, after the birth control is implanted in the arm, the biggest change is in your period. For most, there’s a time frame (6-12 months) that the body will have some spotting (light bloody or brown discharge)It’s rare but the spotting can last longer than that or your period could get longer and heavier for a while until your body gets adjusted.
Overall, periods tend to get much lighter and more manageable or even stop completely (how nice would that be?)
Of course there are other side effects that come with everything that happens:
Headache
Breast Pain
Weight Gain
Ovarian Cysts
Possible infection at the implant site
If you’re having severe or continuous side effects after a few months, please go talk to the doctor and see what’s happening or if you need a different birth control method.
As I said above, the side effects aren’t all bad. Lighter periods, 33% of people don’t get a period at all after the implant is in place. Eased cramps and PMS. Sounds like the good outweigh the bad overall.
When you stop using the implant, your body can immediately get pregnant so use the proper methods to prevent that if you’re not looking to start a family.
All side effects are subjective and will depend on how your body handles the implant as well as your medical history.
Other Benefits
There isn’t a cocktail of hormones, just the progestin. There’s no estrogen to worry about so it’ll have little effect on your body. No one has to know you have it.You can really embrace the breeding kink you or your partner have.
I said earlier, you can remove it at any time and proceed with trying to get pregnant if that’s your prerogative.
Closing Thoughts
I think this is the one method that every lady should look into and get if you don’t want to have an unwanted pregnancy. It’s safe, effective, and easy to manage. As we discuss other methods in the future, I hope you make the best choice for you and your lifestyle.
In the coming articles, we will discuss condoms, pull and pray, abortion, vasectomies, IUDs, Pills, breastfeeding (yes there’s a method of birth control involving utilixing breastfeeding), and a few more that may go down a dark path but still are common in some parts of the world.
I’m thinking of getting a vasectomy soI’ll be posting one on that soon based on my research and let you guys know the outcome of my decision. ‘
Reader Question:
Do you have the implant? What are the pros and cons you’ve experienced? Comment below and show me how it affects real people and not just research through articles and papers.
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