2008 Woodie Awards
Permanent birth control choices redefine my identity as a woman
Rose Hansen
Issue date: 10/7/08 Section: Forum
If you paid attention during sex ed in middle school, you'd know about the plethora of birth control options out there - abstinence, condoms, spermicide, withdrawal, ovulation timing, the patch, the shot, the pill, the ring, vaginal contraceptive film, IUD's, and sterilization.
I've tried several methods, but eventually chose Implanon - a small rod inserted on the inner part of your arm just underneath the skin. It stops your body from ovulating for up to three years. They give you a shot to numb the area, punch a tiny hole (the pen mark for the insertion is larger than the actual puncture), and slide it in. The process literally takes about one minute. And the best part? Thanks to the Family Planning Project at the Student Health Center, the consultation and cost are covered.
Just how effective is Implanon? The failure rates are between 0.05 and 0.1 percent. That's better than sterilization, which is 0.2 percent. And if you were wondering, condoms average 85 percent and the pill 95-97 percent effectiveness.
Well, if you're anything like me, you don't use condoms and pills correctly every time because life gets in the way. You didn't bring a condom, it breaks, you left your pills in your purse, you partied too hard and threw up, or you just plain forgot. I was on oral contraceptives for the majority of my sex history and didn't always do it right. Although I never had a serious pregnancy scare, I reached a point where I either needed to be more responsible about the pill or change my birth control.
In the days leading up to my Implanon insertion, I was looking forward to a lot of positive changes in my life. I was ready to say goodbye to worrying about pills, plan B, and pregnancy.
Now, I'm a few weeks past getting Implanon, and only recently did it hit me: I won't have a baby for the next three years. I've got a higher chance of dying, contracting an STD, and developing skin cancer. But basically, I'm infertile until I take Implanon out.
I've tried several methods, but eventually chose Implanon - a small rod inserted on the inner part of your arm just underneath the skin. It stops your body from ovulating for up to three years. They give you a shot to numb the area, punch a tiny hole (the pen mark for the insertion is larger than the actual puncture), and slide it in. The process literally takes about one minute. And the best part? Thanks to the Family Planning Project at the Student Health Center, the consultation and cost are covered.
Just how effective is Implanon? The failure rates are between 0.05 and 0.1 percent. That's better than sterilization, which is 0.2 percent. And if you were wondering, condoms average 85 percent and the pill 95-97 percent effectiveness.
Well, if you're anything like me, you don't use condoms and pills correctly every time because life gets in the way. You didn't bring a condom, it breaks, you left your pills in your purse, you partied too hard and threw up, or you just plain forgot. I was on oral contraceptives for the majority of my sex history and didn't always do it right. Although I never had a serious pregnancy scare, I reached a point where I either needed to be more responsible about the pill or change my birth control.
In the days leading up to my Implanon insertion, I was looking forward to a lot of positive changes in my life. I was ready to say goodbye to worrying about pills, plan B, and pregnancy.
Now, I'm a few weeks past getting Implanon, and only recently did it hit me: I won't have a baby for the next three years. I've got a higher chance of dying, contracting an STD, and developing skin cancer. But basically, I'm infertile until I take Implanon out.
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Simon
posted 10/27/08 @ 1:46 AM PST
It is interesting to read and there are some interesting questions raised. However what struck me is the plurality of options out there nowadays. Did you know that in Japan the pill was legally prohibited until a few years ago? So condom use still accounts for about 90%. (Continued…)
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