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Birth Control Methods Other Than The Pill

Birth Control Methods Other Than The Pill
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The Guardian recently published an article suggesting that many women who are deciding to ditch their birth control pills for more bio-based contraception methods are practicing "voodoo" with their pregnancy-prevention methods. Given the rich diversity of humanity, imagining that any one type of contraception management is going to work for everyone is short sighted.

The article skips over the array of hormone-free options available to both men and women and it frames any method that isn't the pill in a negative light.

Undoubtedly, the birth control pill, which uses hormones to deter pregnancy, is exactly what some women are looking for. Rebecca, a Toronto-based mother of one, has been using the pill for longer than 15 years and reports that it regulates her cycle, simultaneously providing an acceptable level of pregnancy protection.

While the method pushed by most health providers and used by millions of women like Rebecca, the pill is by no means a perfect "one-size-fits-all" option. The birth control pill, in any one of its aberrations, often includes side effects ranging from: spotting and mood swings to weight gain and other, more serious health complications.

Side effects aside, some women report wanting to leave the pill behind due to dissatisfaction with artificial hormones introduced to their body. Additionally, some nursing mothers eschew a hormonal birth control pill, hormonal IUD or hormone-based contraceptive implant because they have concerns about the potential impact on their breast milk.

So what is everyone else using to prevent pregnancy?

Copper IUD

Birth Control Methods -- Other Than The Pill

Contraception has a long way to go. Women are still shouldering the majority of the responsibility, and most of the potential negative impacts. Also, it is often women's lives who are most affected when contraception doesn't work.

Contraception should be as unique as our sex lives, and we should all be encouraged to make informed decisions that work best for ourselves, our bodies and our families.

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