15 minutes with an obstetrician/gynecologist
August 15, 2007
Getting pregnant, being pregnant and trying not to get pregnant can stir up a lot of worries for women and those who love them. A trusted obstetrician/gynecologist, who is trained to deal with women’s health and health during pregnancy, can alleviate fears. Consetta Cheatam, an ob/gyn who practices at St. Mary’s Hospital in Passaic, answers some common questions. Interview by Betsy Querna.
What are my chances of getting pregnant if I don’t use any birth control?
Every individual may vary depend on independent fertility factors but on average 85 percent of women who have sex for a year without contraception will get pregnant, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
What is Plan B and how can I get it?
Plan B is a form of emergency birth control and most effective if taken within 72 hours of having sex to prevent an accidental pregnancy. Plan B is sold over the counter in many pharmacies for women older than 16 or can be obtained via prescription from your doctor.
I don’t like taking the pill or using condoms. What are my other birth control options?
Condoms are the only birth control method providing some protection against sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs. If birth control is the only concern, some options include:
1. Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are a semi-permanent form of birth control and provide seven to 10 years of protection. The failure rate is between 1 and 3 in 1,000 devices.
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2. Diaphragms are latex cups which are placed vaginally and require correct sizing by a health professional. They fail about 20 percent of the time.
3. Cervical caps are a soft cup-shape latex device that fits over the cervix, a part of the vagina. They also require correct sizing by a health professional and fail about 20 percent of the time.
4. Sponges are soft circular polyurethane devices that contains nonoxynol-9, a spermicide. Their failure rate is between 14-28 percent.
5. Spermicides are chemical barriers in the form of foam, cream, jelly, film, suppositories or tablets. Used alone, they can fail up to 50 percent of the time, so are better used with another method.
6. NuvaRing, a ring that fits inside the vagina containing hormonal birth control medication that is absorbed. The failure rate is the same as with oral birth control methods, about 1 to 2 percent of the time.
7. Injections such as Lunelle or Depo-Provera require injection every one to three months, and fail less than 1 percent of the time.
8. Tubal ligation or “having your tubes tied” is a permanent form of birth control requiring the clipping and tying of a woman’s fallopian tubes during surgery. The failure rate is less than 1 percent and varies depending on technique used.
9. A vasectomy is the cutting or burning of the vas deferens, the tube in men that transports the sperm to the fluid, in surgery. It is permanent. The failure rate is less than 1 percent
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