How Much Do You Know About Contraception?
About half of all pregnancies are unplanned, says the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. But women today have many safe and reliable choices if they want to prevent pregnancy. Birth control can be a medicine, device, or method. Test your knowledge of contraception by taking this quiz.
5. Which of these is a possible side effect of birth control pills?
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Other common side effects are breast tenderness and depression. Side effects usually decrease with time, as your body adjusts to the hormones. Birth control pills 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. Birth control pills do not protect against STIs. 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 3 months. The implant provides contraception for 3 years. 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 health conditions, such as a history of blood clots, breast cancer, or endometrial cancer, should talk with their healthcare provider before taking birth control pills. 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. Natural family planning uses the menstrual cycle, changes in cervical mucus, or changes in body temperature to detect ovulation, which is when a woman is fertile. Studies have shown that a woman is fertile from 5 days before ovulation to the 24 hours after ovulation. On days when a woman is fertile, she and her partner abstain from sexual intercourse or use a barrier method to prevent pregnancy. These methods work 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 healthcare provider can give you more information on natural family planning.
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