There are different types of family planning methods which includes use of contraceptives, natural or barrier methods. These methods vary in terms of effectiveness from person to person since our bodies differ.
We have sampled the most effective methods that women have used and testified of;
- IUD (Intrauterine device)
Also known as the Coil method.
This is a T-Shaped device inserted into the uterus by your doctor. The device contains either copper or hormonal progestin; the choice is yours. Copper IUD is however the best non hormonal method around as no one has ever gotten pregnant while on this method.one may however feel uncomfortable in the beginning when the device is inserted but the feeling is mild and disappears soon.
The good news again is that you conceive almost immediately after removing the Copper IUD unlike the hormonal one which takes a bit longer as the body hormones try to stabilize.
- Implants
Implants come in 3 brands; Norplant and Jadelle, Implanon/Nexplanon and Sino-implant (II)
This method is suitable for women who want to avoid pregnancy for a longer period of time say 3, 5 or 10 years. It is hormonal and one may take a while before conceiving after removal. The goodness is that it does not interrupt sex and you need not worry about menses every month since you may never see them. Women who have used this method witness spotting once in a while, irregular periods or nothing at all.
- Injection
The injection is done on the arm or buttocks.it is suitable for women who experience heavy and painful monthly periods or those who cannot use other contraceptives due to health reasons. This method is 100% effective if used well and has proven ability to prevent cancer of the lining of the womb(endometrial cancer).it is however not suitable for women who have breast cancer or are planning to get pregnant very soon.
- Condom
Condom represents the barrier method available for both men and women. It is one of the easiest methods of birth control as it requires no prescriptions. Among its advantages apart from preventing pregnancy is that it prevents sexually transmitted diseases. Condoms are not expensive and are easily obtainable. They do not have any side effects unless you are allergic.
- Natural method
There are natural methods available for both men and women who do not want to go the medical way for women. We have the cycle awareness (safe days) method which requires a woman to understand oneself menstrual calendar. Assuming the cycle is regular, she has to avoid sexual intercourse between the 7th -21st day of the month. This means the day 1 to day 7 are safe (assuming she receives menses on day one) and also day 22 to the end of the month form part of the safe days.
For men, we have the withdrawal method. This requires the man to exercise a lot of self-control and learn how to pull out in time! The two methods have been criticized in terms of effectiveness but those who are self-aware and alert can try.
All in all we are not experts therefore we recommend that you seek medical advice before trying any of the family methods above!!