Contraceptive prevalence rate

If you usually change your sex positions when having intercourse, you may notice that the diaphragm tends to become dislodged when female is on the top. However, the case is hardly ever noticed so don’t assume that it’s absolutely insecure. What I actually mean is that the few risks are still there with this approach as well. Some spermicide seems to leave a really unpleasant taste that most of the couples often notice when having oral sex. However, it’s possible to eliminate it by wiping off the genital area after inserting the diaphragm. Fortunately, flavored spermicidal products are also available in the market if you want.

A spermicide is strongly recommended as the diaphragm itself may not be absolutely effective in preventing sperm from reaching to cervix. During sexual intercourse, the vagina may flex and change in shape. Thus, a diaphragm tend to be ineffective in providing an ideal seal, as a result, some sperm may pass through it. To eliminate this risk, a spermicidal cream or jelly is preferred in accompany of diaphragm every time. One among the key functions of diaphragm is to hold the spermicide nearby the cervical opening in order to destroy the sperm which get past the rim.

Effectiveness

Like cervical caps and condoms, the effectiveness of diaphragm depends on how cautiously and frequently it is preferred. The failure rates differ wide, ranging from 5% to 21% during the first year of use. Women who don’t prefer using the diaphragm each time when having sex seem to have a highest rate of failure. But the women who choose to prefer it every time when they enjoy lovemaking have the least failure rate. It is widely believed by the experts that the most common reason behind the failure is leaving the diaphragm at house.

The failure rate is also affected by the age and frequency of lovemaking. Diaphragm users who enjoy lovemaking frequently or are under the age of 25 run a huge risk of getting pregnant. The men and women are normally very fertile in their teens and twenties, which increase their odd of getting pregnant. And when lovemaking is more often, there is more risk of failure of contraceptive, unless the partners are highly disciplined about preferring this or any other approaches.

To prevent disease and pregnancy, you should use not miss using diaphragm whenever you have intercourse, even in your menstruation period. If you want to ensure the extremely secured protection, it’d be better for you to use a condom in addition to a diaphragm during your most fertile periods.

If you’re still not aware of what the diaphragm actually is, then let me tell you that it’s a shallow rubber cap that have a rim made with a flexible, fine spring. It fits comfortably and snugly across the upper portion of the vagina and covers the entire cervix, and prevents sperm from reaching to fallopian tubes and uterus to complete the egg fertilization. It is actually used with a spermicidal gel or jelly. The diaphragm at present is extremely popular approach of birth control as it doesn’t result any chemical or hormonal changes in body. In fact, it doesn’t have a single side effect and doesn’t interrupt the lovemaking as other similar approaches out there. You can use diaphragm during your menstruation period. When used carefully and consistently, a diaphragm in addition to spermicidal offers an outstanding protection against the pregnancy and the entire sexually transmitted diseases that are resulted by bacteria. By preferring the diaphragm, one can be able to reduce the risk of PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) to a great extent.

It’s necessary for a diaphragm to be fitted by a physician or other authorized health service provider and normally can be preferred for several years. It’s a wiser decision to use the diaphragm, especially if you don’t enjoy lovemaking more often or if you know beforehand when you’ll be having your next intercourse. If you’re using a diaphragm but are currently taking the pills, then the diaphragm can offer you a great emergency protection if you mistakenly missed out some pills to intake and are vulnerable to pregnancy. Some couples like to prefer a contraceptive only when the female seems to be in her fertile period, and they choose to use a condom, cervical cap, or diaphragm during that period.

For most effective result, it’s necessary to use diaphragm in accompany of spermicide (sperm killer). You should insert it inside the vagina before having intercourse and must be kept in place for at least 6 hours after lovemaking. It should be placed handy even when you’re not expecting of having sex. It’d be better if you carry a source of spermicide with you as well. However, keep in mind that there are also a couple of disadvantages arriving with it.

The main objective behind preferring contraceptive patch is to restrain the mid cycle gonadotropin surge and preventing ovulation in an effective manner. Although ovulation inhibition is the crucial mechanism so far, contraceptive patch also perform on the other sides of the reproductive system in the following manners:

• Cervical mucus: converting it into thick, scanty, and viscid stuff, thus, prevents from sperm penetration, and inhibits the sperm capacitation.

• Reducing motility of the oviduct and the uterus, thus, restraining the transfer of sperm and ova.

• Reducing endometrial glandular generation of glycogen, thus, less energy is available to the blastocyst for surviving in uterine cavity.

• Decrease in ovarian sensitivity to the gonadotropin stimulation.

CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS

The patch is as effective as OCs if it is used appropriately. The numbers of women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy throughout the 1st year of typical and perfect use of the contraceptive patch is well-considered to be quite similar to the OC use.

MERITS OF THE PATCH

• The best part of preferring the patch is that it’s a once a week administration, thus, it is extremely convenient option for majority of users.

• Better compliance in groups of the entire age, but especially better among the adolescents who usually lack the OC compliance.

• Quickly reversible.

• Visible, verifiable patch.

• Less dysmenorrhea.

• Reduction in problems associated to androgen, acne, for instance.

• Reduced risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer.

DEMERITS OF THE PATCH

• The patch is pretty noticeable and one can recognize it just with a bit effort even though privacy may be a concern.

• Patch should be replaced weekly, thus, time consuming and expensive option as well.

• Around 1 to 2 percentage of patches usually detaches and should be replaced.

• Doesn’t prevent from some serious STDs, such as HIV AIDS.

• Room temperature storage is necessary.

• Generic equivalents don’t exist at all and cost could be a matter of anxiety.

• Involves numbers of side effects, including headache, nausea, dysmenorrheal, and breast discomfort.

• Increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke in the high risk populations, smokers aged 35 years above or women suffering from vascular disease, for instance.

The transdermal contraceptive patch, after its arrival in the year 2002, soon turned out to become one among the most popular birth controlling options in the US alone. Like OCs (Combination Oral Contraceptives), the contraceptive patch is very effective and quickly reversible. The patch was actually designed for mimicking the hormonal reaction of a 35 μg OC and arrives with numbers of same merits and demerits. It is assumed that the patch will acquire many same contraceptive as well as non contraceptive advantages allied with OCs.

The best thing about the patch is the fact that it’s once a week administration and indeed it’s the main reason why many people usually prefer to go with this option. Of course, there are also a couple of side effects arriving with this treatment option. And when it comes to its most frequent side effects, some of them include nausea, headaches, breast discomfort, and application site reaction. The contraceptive patch includes 0.75 mg of ethinyl estradiol (EE) and 6 mg of norelgestromin, and was actually designed in order to release 150 μg norelgestromin and 20 μg EE to the blood stream via the skin at the gap of every 24 hours. For your kind information, Norelgestromin is a primary active metabolite generated following the oral administration of the norgestimate.

Following the application, EE and norelgestromin soon appear in circulation and arrive at steady state levels just within 48 hours. Much to your surprise, these levels can be higher or lower than therapeutic reference ranges that are developed for OrthoCyclen (25–75 pg/mL and 0.6–1.2 ng/mL, respectively).

Moreover, therapeutic levels of EE and norelgestromin are managed for the seven days of the routine patch wear and during two additional days of the extended wear. When it comes to the half life of EE and norelgestromin, it is 17 hours and 28 hours respectively.

Transdermally administered norelgestromin doesn’t overturn the stimulatory affect of the EE on SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin), which results in significant increment in SHBG following patch administration as well as some other kind of hepatic proteins.

• It may seem unusual as around 1 inch of the condom’s open end will stay outside your vagina. Actually, it’s the additional materials that assisting in protecting the penis’s upper part of your partner, and your genital area as well.

• Always prefer using a fresh condom throughout the sexual intercourse, because the one that has already been used may be torn or have been contaminated due to the body fluids. Keep in mind that never use a male condom and Reality condom at the same time because they somehow stick with each other and will move from their proper place.

• When you’re ready to start lovemaking, you should ensure that the outside ring of condom is lying flat against your vagina’s outer lips. In case it’s not so easy to complete this entry, ask your partner for withdrawing it for a while and then you add some extra lubrication either inside your condom or your partner’s penis.

• It’s obvious to experience movement in the female condom and in outer ring from one side to another during sexual intercourse. It’s even fine if it completely rides up over the penis as it doesn’t diminish your safety because your partner’s penis is covered yet and the semen remains inside the pouch.

• If your feel as the outer ring is being pushed into your vagina or the penis is trying to enter next or underneath to your condom instead of inside it, then it’s your time to stop your lovemaking scene and add some additional lubrication to the pouch’s opening and ensure that your outer ring is lying properly flat over the vagina’s lips as this helps in making it an easier task for the penis for sliding into your condom.

Removing the Female Condom

For removing your reality condom after having sex, you should squeeze up the outer ring and then twist it for removing the risk of spilling of any sperm. Pull the condom gently outwards, wrap it up into the tissues, and throw it into a trash can.