Others, like many of those surroundingbirth control, can lead to real consequences, such as unintendedpregnancy.
Unfortunately, theres ample opportunity for birth control myths to spread.
It seems theres some serious and necessary room for improvement in sex ed these days.
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Unfortunately, we cant create a comprehensive sex education curriculum and distribute it to every school in the country.
The only kinds of birth control that protect against both pregnancy andsexually transmitted infectionsare male and female condoms.
Find out how often you should get testedhere.
Condoms can be a good form of birth control if youre committed to using them perfectly each time.
What do you know!
Same thing goes forfemale condoms.
This can introduce the person with the vagina to pre-ejaculatory fluid (which you probably call pre-cum).
Plus, if you do this, youre not protecting yourself as well as you could againstsexually transmitted infections.
The takeaway: Use condoms the way youre supposed to every single time.
Nope, nope, nope.
There is no reason not to put an IUD In someone who hasnt had children, Dr. Streicher says.
IUDs are recommended for anywhere between three and 10 years, based on the kind you pick.
(Heres more informationabout each key in.)
Also, the insertion process doesnt exactly feel like a trip to the spa.
Of course, sometimes youll decide your IUDs time is up even though its technically still good for use.
OK, so this is kind of true.
The minipill may also suppress ovulation, but its not guaranteed.
I get asked about this a lot, Dr. Lau says.
(The weight gain may be because ofappetite changes.)
If thats something that matters to you, bring it up with your doctor when discussing your contraceptive options.
The ring contains a mix of estrogen and progestin to help prevent an unintended pregnancy, theMayo Clinicexplains.
Your vagina is just a tunnel with an end, Dr. Lau says.
Theres no way for it to get to the rest of your body.
Theres also a chance that the NuvaRing could have fallen out without you realizing it.
Think of your skin like a web of interconnecting strands of collagen and elastin.
The term fertility awareness-based method is really a catch-all for a few different tactics of tracking your ovulation.
The problem is, its hard to know exactly when youre ovulating, Dr. Streicher says.
Plus, not everyone has a 28-day menstrual cycle.
Also, sperm can live in you for up to five days after having sex, according toACOG.
Estimates suggestthat 24 out of 100 women who use fertility awareness-based methods become pregnant in the first year.
There, it releases estrogen and progestin into your skin.
You dont ever need to get a period on birth control, she says.
Theres no benefit to it.
Same thing for NuvaRing and Xulaneyoud bypass the ring-free or patch-free weeks.
Either way, talking to your doctor can help you ensure youre maximizing your chances of conceiving.
Theresno scientific proofthat this is the case, Dr. Streicher says.
Just use a backup method of birth control if you dont want to get pregnant, Dr. Streicher says.
Breastfeedingtypically suppresses ovulation and menstruation, according toACOG.
Youd also need to exclusively breastfeed, so no supplementing with formula.
Even thats not foolproof.
If you have unprotected sex, you could theoretically get pregnant before your period returns.
Yes, itsvery rare that a vasectomy fails, but it is possible.
But all the sperm thats already been created doesnt just suddenly vanish into thin air.
You have to have a semen analysis that shows that there is zero sperm before youre protected.
A hysterectomy and tubal ligation are completely different, Dr. Lau says.
