Pregnancy Tests And Birth Control: Essential Knowledge For The Childbearing Years
February 5th, 2009 -- Posted in Pregnancy | No Comments »Am I pregnant? That’s a question every woman has likely asked herself at some time. Pregnancy can be a very exciting time. It is also, at times, something you wish to avoid. Therefore knowledge of pregnancy tests and birth control methods is something every woman of childbearing age needs to have.
Pregnancy Tests
Pregnancy tests look for the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG, a hormone often called the pregnancy hormone. HCG is produced by pregnant women and is found in their blood and urine. While early pregnancy has definite symptoms that can be recognized by a trained healthcare provider (and some by moms to be!) official confirmation of a pregnancy is done through a pregnancy test.
Urine tests are the most commonly used test for pregnancy. They are inexpensive, and can be performed conveniently in the privacy of home. Blood tests, on the other hand, are always performed at a doctor’s office or medical facility. Urine tests can detect HCG in the urine generally two weeks following ovulation, sometimes even before a period has been missed. If you use a home-based urine pregnancy test, be sure to follow the directions carefully to get an accurate reading. Be sure to follow the test directions for following up with a healthcare provider as well.
Birth Control Methods: Something For Every Couple
As welcome as most pregnancies are, there are times when women do not wish to become pregnant, and times when avoiding pregnancy is necessary for health reasons. Any method or system of preventing pregnancy is known as birth control; other names for birth control are family planning, fertility control, pregnancy prevention, and contraception. There are a variety of methods available. For best results, you should learn about all your options and choose the one that best suits your needs and provides the level of protection against pregnancy with which you are most comfortable. Essentially, all birth control methods and systems seek to prevent the male’s sperm from reaching the female’s egg causing fertilization.
There are two general classes of birth control: permanent and reversible. Permanent options involve surgery and are generally not reversible; therefore, you must be very certain of your decision and choice not to have any children (or any more children) before opting for a permanent choice. Reversible methods, on the other hand, are within the control of the user, and can be changed or stopped as desired.
For a man, vasectomy is a permanent birth control option. Vasectomy prevents the sperm a man produces from leaving his body during intercourse. This surgery is usually performed by a urologist. Vasectomies can be reversed but such reversal surgery is not always successful; therefore, this must be considered a permanent method.
Permanent options for a woman include tubal ligation and hysterectomy. Tubal ligation is a severing of the fallopian tubes which connect a woman’s ovaries, where eggs are produced, and her uterus, where a pregnancy grows. Like vasectomies, tubal ligation can sometimes be reversed; however, such reversal surgery is not always successful, so tubal ligation must not be considered a reversible or temporary option. Hysterectomy is removal of a woman’s uterus or ovaries or both.
Reversible Birth Control Options
Reversible birth control options fall into four categories: barrier, mechanical, hormonal, and natural. Barrier methods are the use of a physical barrier to prevent sperm and egg from joining, such as condoms or diaphragms. The IUD, or intrauterine device, is a form of mechanical birth control. IUDs are small devices inserted into the uterus of a woman by her healthcare provider.
Hormonal birth control methods release hormones into the woman’s body which prevent an egg from developing and maturing. The most common form of hormonal birth control is the birth control pill, also known as oral contraceptives. Birth control pills may contain one or more hormones, and are known respectively as mini pills or combination pills. Both are effective provided they are taken according to directions. Other forms of hormonal birth control deliver the hormones using different delivery systems, such as the contraceptive patch, a vaginal ring, or birth control implants or injections.
Natural methods of birth control involve understanding the woman’s physiology to determine when sexual intercourse may be enjoyed with minimal risk of fertilization. Because they involve no surgery, no chemicals or medications, and produce no side effects, natural methods are favored by many couples. However, natural methods must be performed with great consistency and care, as one act of intercourse outside “allowed” times may result in a pregnancy.
It is important to remember that there is no form of birth control which provides absolute protection against sexually transmitted diseases or STDs. Though some barrier methods do offer limited protection, only strict abstinence can assure that you will remain free from STDs.