safety first

Contraception... lets get to grips with the options and figure out the right one for you

Choosing contraception can be an overwhelming conversaton, we’re here to make it easy for you...

The most common and widely used contraception is the pill. The pill comes in many different forms, the two most common are the eostrogen and progesterone pill, and the progesterone only pill. The combined pill is taken everyday day and stopped for one week per month to allow for your period, whereas the mini pill (progesterone only) is taken non stop and can stop periods completely. However every female body reacts to these hormones differently and you should be aware of the side effects of any pill before starting to take it.

The one for our forgettful girls...

The implant is the perfect contraceptive for our girls who struggle to be on time with taking their pill, we get it, life can be chaos and fast paced so this form of contraception could be perfect for you. It sits just under the skin on the inside of your arm and does the work for you!

The implant has a surrounding taboo due to it being invasive to the skin, but the procedure is over in minutes and then it sits there for 3 years protecting you from pregnancy.

The natural one... but risky!

We all know and i guess you could say love, the pull out method, right? Being one of the only natural contraception options out there, the pull out method is maybe used a little too often. This method results in a high risk of transmitting STI’s, as well as pregnacy. Research shows the reason people opt for the pull out method is because it feels better than condoms and is more convienient. You cant argue with that but you can question the priorities, stay safe!

The coil...

This form of contraception is similar to the idea of the implant. The main attraction of the coil is that once its fitted, you dont need to worry about contraception for at least 5 years, its much easier than having to take a pill everyday.

There are two types of the coil, one is an IUD which uses copper as the contraceptive, hence the name of copper coil. this is ideal for any women who are unable to take hormonal contraceptions due to health issues or any family health history. The other coil is called an IUS, this uses hormones to act as a contraception, these hormones are very localised so have less chance of forming side effects that affect the brain, such as depression and anxiety.

Theres also an option of a contraceptive injection...

The injection works by slowly releasing progesterone into the bloodstream. The injection works to protect against pregnancy for up to 13 weeks. This means you will have to book in a repeat appointment with your doctor to have this injection regularly, before the timeframe runs out and it becomes ineffective. This form of contraception is perfect for the women who cant have eostrogen, and its also a much easier and convient form compared to having to remeber to take the pill at the same time everyday. DOwnsides of this method include weight gain, irregular bleeding, headaches and mood swings.

Of course if none of these contraceptive options work for you due to them being hormonal, or even just unappealing to you and what you’re comfortable in taking... then there is always the option of condoms. There is a huge taboo surrounding comdoms, claiming that they make sex less pleasurable. But we’re here to squash that taboo due to the sheer amount of options you have when choosing a condom, they come in all different shapes, sizes and even flavours. Some condoms can make sex fun and enhance your pleasure, for both you and your male partner. So why not spice up the bedroom with a cherry condom, or even one with ribbed markings... you might surprise yourself!

Innovation...

Some forms of contraception are being developed that could be a huge game changer in this area. Innovation such as a once a month pill... We know, ideal right?! The pill is coated in gelatine to slow down the release of hormones. The pill is ion the shape of a siz armed star surrounded in a gelatine capsule, due to its gelatine coating the pill remains in the stomach for a month and slowly excretes the hormone preventing pregnancy. It sadly wont be available for a while yet due to having to go through essential testing, but something for us forgettful girls to look forward to!