How Much Do You Know About Contraception?
About half of all pregnancies are unplanned, says the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. But women today have many safe and reliable options to choose from if they want to prevent pregnancy. Contraception, or "birth control," can be a drug, device, or method. Test your knowledge of contraception by taking this quiz.
5. Which of these is a possible side effect of oral contraceptives?
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Other common side effects are headache, breast tenderness, irregular bleeding, and depression. Side effects usually decrease with time, as your body adjusts to the hormones. Oral contraceptives must be taken every day to be effective. They provide the hormones estrogen and progestin, hormones similar to those that a woman's body produces naturally. The hormones prevent ovulation and make the womb less receptive to pregnancy. Oral contraceptives offer no protection against STDs. Hormones also can be injected to provide contraception, implanted in the skin, or placed on the skin with a special patch. Hormone injections are given every three months; the implant provides contraception for three years; and the skin patch is replaced every week. Low-dose contraceptives now available have fewer side effects than do earlier versions, the FDA says. Women older than 35 who smoke and women with certain medical conditions, such as a history of blood clots, breast cancer, or endometrial cancer, should talk to their health care provider before taking oral contraceptives. These forms of contraception may increase the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and blood clots.
7. Which of these methods is called natural family planning?
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Natural family planning, also called fertility awareness, involves tracking body functions as they change through a woman's menstrual cycle. Because a sperm may live in a woman's reproductive tract for up to seven days and the egg may remain fertile for about 24 hours, a woman could become pregnant from intercourse that occurred seven days earlier or 24 hours afterward, the FDA says. Natural family planning uses the menstrual cycle, changes in cervical mucus or changes in body temperature to figure out when a woman is fertile. On days when a woman is fertile, she and her partner abstain from sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy. These methods are effective if used consistently and correctly, experts say. If used "perfectly," the basal temperature method, for example, still will result in only 2 pregnancies out of 100 women. With a typical use of this method, as many as 20 women in 100 will become pregnant. Your health care provider can supply you with more information on natural family planning.
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