Birth rates in the United States have dropped considerably, with an increase in childless adults and parents who never want to have kids. Although economic crises have amplified the trend, many childless adults are unready to raise kids. The discovery of permanent contraceptive solutions has fueled these developments.
Couples and individuals who decide never to have kids should choose effective and safe contraceptive solutions. The following article explores the five most effective and reliable contraceptive solutions for long-term planning.
- Intrauterine Devices
Intrauterine devices are among the most dominant reversible birth control methods in the world. Many doctors assign these devices to women at birth who are ineligible to give birth in the future. Intrauterine devices are highly recommendable because they do their job perfectly without exposing users to extreme side effects. These are simply small, T-shaped devices medically implanted into your uterus to prevent sperm from fertilizing your eggs.
There are two highly effective permanent birth control options under this category: copper and hormonal IUDs. Copper IUDs elicit immune responses in your uterus, contaminating and making the environment unsuitable for sperm to fertilize the eggs. In such toxic conditions, the sperm cannot move through the uterus to reach the egg.
Hormonal IUDs are synthetic hormones that weaken the uterine lining and solidify cervical mucus. Those activities make it challenging for the sperm to reach the fallopian tubes and the eggs. Some advanced hormonal IUDs stop ovulation.
Most intrauterine devices are super-effective, lasting 3-10 years. They are reversible, meaning you can decide when to get them removed after you decide to start having babies. The method is also affordable and easy to maintain.
- Essure
Essure is not a new word in the world of contraceptives. Many couples and women across the globe have heard of or even used the devices to prevent pregnancy. The permanent, flexible metal coils sit on your fallopian tube to prevent pregnancy.
These devices inflate and attach to your fallopian tube, triggering scar tissue formation that blocks tubes and ensures sperm cannot reach the egg. The surgical process involves a doctor widening your cervix with a cervical dilator and speculum and then inserting a hysteroscope into the uterus.
Essure metal coils are irreversible because they involve surgical applications. The particular surgery conducted on you depends on where you want the device located. All the factors determine the side effects, with some causing vomiting, cramping, dyspareunia, and nausea.
Women should avoid the birth control approach when they have a gynecological infection. Those in their third or fourth week of the menstrual cycle or who recently had birth should not use Essure as a birth control approach until the right time.
- Hormonal Implants
Couples and women resort to contraceptives when they have goals exceeding their desires to have kids. The last thing they expect is errors in the contraceptives, leading to unexpected pregnancies and childbirth.
Hormonal implants are 99% effective, having proven their capacity to keep you from getting pregnant for two to five years. They are low-maintenance contraception that users can reverse at any given time.
These implants are small, yet flexible rods packed with progestogen hormone, which inserts under your upper arm’s skin. Many advanced options can control menstrual cramps, making them lighter. Hormonal implants generate progestin in low but steady doses to prevent ovulation. The progestin usually thins your uterine lining and thickens your cervical mucus to block spermatozoa.
- Cervical Shield or Cap
Are you breastfeeding, and other birth control methods have proven unsafe? Cervical shields and caps are highly effective, even for women who have just given birth. The effectiveness of these silicon cups is lower in parents than in people who have never given birth.
The cups fit over your cervix, preventing sperm from fertilizing the eggs. You can add spermicides into the shield or cap to boost the effectiveness. Once inserted, the cap keeps sperm out, ensuring eggs no longer get fertilized.
You should keep the cap intact for over six hours after having sex and remove it before 48 hours. Unfortunately, caps can dislodge or even cause allergic reactions and toxic shock syndrome.
- Hysterectomy
Have you decided never to have kids, or did the doctor advise you never to give birth again because of underlying health concerns? It will be helpful to consider permanent and irreversible surgical procedures like hysterectomy. The procedure involves the doctor removing your uterus, permanently stopping egg production and menstrual periods. The womb removal puts a permanent stop to fertilization and pregnancies. It is a highly recommended treatment for conditions affecting women’s reproductive organs.
Doctors recommend hysterectomy to women with heavy menstrual bleeding that negatively impacts their lives. Women who have tried all other treatments to no avail will find hysterectomy the best option. Also, this birth control method addresses underlying health conditions like endometriosis and fibroids. Unfortunately, it is irreversible and might lead to bladder disturbances, vaginal bleeding, and menopausal symptoms.
Wrapping Up
Are you putting a pause on having kids or never wanting to give birth? Long-term contraceptive methods will make it possible to prevent pregnancy and childbirth. Some methods are over 99% effective, while others have lower efficiency rates. You might want to consider hysterectomy when other methods have failed or have fibroids or endometriosis. Intrauterine Devices and Essure are also highly effective treatments for childbirth control in couples and individuals.
