Birth Control Q & A

What types of birth control are available?

Unified Premier Women’s Care offers a variety of birth control options. The most popular options include oral contraceptives, copper IUDs, and hormonal IUDs. You can also use condoms for birth control without a prescription. Condoms are the only option that prevents STDs, and you can use them along with prescription birth control options.

What is Nexplanon?

Nexplanon is a birth control implant that’s inserted subdermally in your arm. The implant releases etonogestrel into your body to prevent you from ovulating, and thus to prevent pregnancy. Nexplanon is more than 99% effective, and it lasts for up to three years.

What is the copper IUD?

The copper IUD, brand name Paragard®, disrupts sperm movement, preventing egg fertilization, and possibly implantation, to prevent pregnancy. Your OB/GYN inserts Paragard in your uterus in a simple outpatient procedure, and it’s over 99% effective for up to 10 years.

What is Kyleena?

Kyleena is an IUD that releases synthetic progestin hormones into your blood to prevent pregnancy. It thins your uterine lining and thickens your cervical mucus, disrupting sperm movement, and killing sperm.

Just as with the copper IUD, your OB/GYN inserts Kyleena in your uterus in an outpatient procedure. Kyleena lasts for up to five years, and it’s over 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.

What is Mirena?

Mirena, like Kyleena, is an IUD that releases synthetic progestin hormones to prevent pregnancy, but it releases a higher amount of hormones. Mirena is sometimes used to treat heavy periods as well. Your OB/GYN inserts Mirena in your uterus in an outpatient appointment.

This IUD thins out the lining of your uterus and thickens the mucus in your cervix, interfering with sperm movement, and destroying sperm. Mirena is more than 99% effective in preventing pregnancy for up to five years.

What are my oral contraceptive options?

There are a wide variety of oral contraceptives available today. The two general categories of oral contraceptives are combination pills and mini pills. Combination pills are the most popular option, and they have both estrogen and progestin hormones. Mini-pills have only progestin hormones, so they can be a good option for women who are sensitive to estrogen.

You take oral contraceptives on a daily basis, and it’s important to take the pills very consistently to get the best results. With perfect usage, oral contraceptives can be highly effective. However, with typical use — this includes taking the pills at irregular times or missing doses occasionally — the effectiveness rate drops down to around 91%.

Ready to choose a birth control method that really works for you? Call the office for help today.