Non-Hormonal Birth Control Options

Whereas I’ve primarily devoted this web site to the on a regular basis expertise of being a mama, not everybody needs a big household. Some ladies really feel their household is full and it’s not of their plan to grow to be pregnant once more (or in any respect). Listed here are the non-hormonal contraception choices I’ve utilized in my family planning.

Contraception is widespread nowadays for a wide range of causes. In keeping with the CDC, virtually 25% of girls aged 15 to 49 presently use a hormonal contraceptive. These embody “the tablet,” a diaphragm, or intrauterine gadgets (IUDs). 

So it’s no shock that I’ve gotten dozens of requests for pure contraception choices. Ladies are consistently asking for pure options to hormonal contraceptives. As an introvert, I are likely to shrink back from controversy. Nonetheless, I made a decision to sort out this head-on.

How Do Hormonal Contraceptives Work? 

I’ve a plethora of non-medical causes for avoiding hormonal contraceptives. However there are some strong medical/scientific causes to make this choice, too. Hormonal contraceptives are synthetic hormone-like substances that mimic the results of naturally-occurring hormones. In keeping with the FDA, these contraceptives work by: 

• Interfering with ovulation. Estrogen and progestin within the capsules cease the ovaries from releasing eggs.
• Thickening the cervical mucus, which prevents sperm from reaching the egg within the fallopian tube.
• Disrupting the flexibility of the fallopian tubes to maneuver fertilized eggs from the ovaries towards the uterus. 
• Stopping the buildup of the uterine lining which, inhibits implantation of a fertilized egg. 

For me, the likelihood that you may conceive however the fertilized egg wouldn’t implant is disturbing. It’s sufficient to maintain me from ever wanting to make use of hormonal contraceptives. And there’s a protracted listing of different causes. But it surely seems synthetic hormones additionally injury ladies’s well being.

(In addition they injury environmental well being after they find yourself within the water supply). 

Why Keep away from Hormonal Contraceptives?

There are many well being causes to keep away from hormonal strategies of contraception. Hormonal contraceptives impression far more than your hormones. Utilizing them can undermine your well being over time and even result in new well being circumstances.

Might Trigger Nutrient Depletion

Many drugs have an effect on how we soak up vitamins, which might trigger deficiencies. Hormonal contraceptives are not any completely different. Researchers have discovered these drugs deplete key nutritional vitamins and minerals. This may be detrimental to reproductive well being, bone well being, the mind, the immune system, and extra. 

A 2011 randomized managed trial discovered hormonal contraceptives deplete sure vitamins. This contains vitamin B6, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, and magnesium. These deficiencies can result in different well being issues due to the vital position these vitamins play.

Vitamin B6 and magnesium are vital for hormone stability. The minerals zinc and selenium are essential for the immune response. Phosphorus makes robust bones. 

One other hormonal contraception technique is a transdermal patch. This technique delivers artificial estradiol instantly into the bloodstream. It might trigger considerably decrease ranges of coenzyme Q10 and alpha-tocopherol. When the physique is low in these vitamins, it will probably result in elevated oxidative stress, irritation, and calcification. 

Moreover depleting these vitamins, the tablet can even result in an extra of copper, calcium, and iron. This may then exacerbate deficiencies in different vitamins.

Might Trigger Melancholy or Anxiousness 

Relying on the kind of tablet and its elements, hormonal contraceptives may cause or worsen depression or anxiety. This appears to happen extra usually in these with a private historical past of temper problems or a household historical past of temper problems.

Might Result in Low Libido, Sexual Dysfunction, and Infertility

Whereas ladies usually take hormonal contraceptives to assist them take pleasure in intercourse risk-free, it doesn’t at all times prove that method. Using these capsules might compromise your sexual well being. A 2001 examine in Human Copy discovered hormonal contraception might lower your curiosity in intercourse.  

A 2014 examine studies it could additionally trigger points down there that lower pleasure. Plus, should you determine you need to have a child down the street, it could be harder. 

Might Trigger Blood Clots

Blood clots are a major threat of sure capsules. Whereas blood clots from taking the tablet are uncommon, they’re a giant deal as a result of they are often deadly. Yaz and Yasmin particularly have been linked to blood clots. In keeping with a 2011 warning by Well being Canada, a girl utilizing Yaz has a 1-½ to three occasions elevated threat of blood clots in comparison with different contraception capsules.

Might Contribute to Cardiovascular Illness

Ladies who use low-dose oral contraceptives have double the danger of a fatal heart attack in comparison with those that don’t. A 1990 evaluation discovered girls who use oral contraceptives and smoke have 12 occasions the danger of deadly coronary heart assaults. Their charge of deadly mind hemorrhages is thrice increased.

The British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology carried out a medical trial of girls with a historical past of migraines.  They discovered that those that take mixed oral contraceptives have 2-4 occasions the danger of stroke in comparison with those that don’t take the tablet.

Might Result in Blood Sugar Points

A 2003 journal article discovered oral contraceptives might worsen insulin resistance. It’s because they lower insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Because of this, these drugs might enhance your long-term threat of diabetes and coronary heart illness.

Might Enhance Your Threat of Most cancers 

A examine by the World Well being Group tied contraceptive use to cervical most cancers. Ladies who’ve HPV and have taken the tablet for 5 to 9 years have a better cervical most cancers threat. They’re practically thrice extra possible than non-pill customers to develop cervical most cancers.

HPV impacts a 3rd of all ladies of their twenties. And girls with HPV who’ve taken the tablet for greater than ten years are 4 occasions extra possible than non-users to develop the illness.

Scandinavian researchers checked out ladies who use the tablet after age 45. They discovered this age group has a 144% better threat of growing breast cancer than ladies who’ve by no means used the tablet. That’s 144 p.c! 

With all these potential issues, are hormonal contraceptives value it? Is it value risking most cancers to manage your cycles and enhance the look of your pores and skin? Fortunately there are significantly better choices!

Taking The Tablet For Balanced Pores and skin and Hormones?

Many ladies use hormonal contraceptives to assist “stability hormones,” or “regulate their cycle.” They could even use them simply to forestall pimples. The issue is that this treats the signs however doesn’t handle the foundation trigger. The physique naturally strikes towards stability, so if hormones are out of whack, it’s not from a contraceptive deficiency. It’s that the physique isn’t producing optimum ranges of pure hormones.

Treating some signs of hormonal imbalance with these drugs fails to repair the foundation of the issue. It could possibly additionally result in extra vital well being points sooner or later. The underlying imbalance can nonetheless trigger different issues within the physique.

I used to have horrible pimples issues! Clear consuming and the oil cleansing method actually helped clear up my pores and skin. If hormone stability is the aim, check out this article to study some ways to stability hormones naturally. 

Dietary supplements For Hormone Steadiness

I’ve additionally discovered some dietary supplements that assist so much. 

• Maca – This hormone-balancing root has a protracted historical past of use in Peru. It could possibly assist with fertility, discount in PMS, and higher pores and skin and hair. It could possibly additionally enhance male fertility. Maca is an effective supply of minerals and important fatty acids so I like utilizing it in smoothies or espresso. You shouldn’t take it throughout being pregnant although. 
• Magnesium – This mineral is significant for a whole lot of capabilities inside the human physique. Most of us are poor, however there are a number of other ways to get magnesium. I like this magnesium powder, particularly for staying common. Ionic liquid magnesium or magnesium oil are each actually good.
• Vitamin D – A pre-hormone that helps hormone perform. It’s greatest to get it from the solar if doable, or you may take a D3 supplement. Ideally, get your serum Vitamin D ranges checked to trace your ranges.
• Gelatin or Collagen – An amazing supply of minerals and crucial amino acids. These powders help hormone manufacturing and digestive well being in varied methods. Gelatin powder can really “gel.” It really works nicely in recipes like do-it-yourself jello and probiotic marshmallows. Collagen powder doesn’t gel however simply stirs into soups, smoothies, espresso, tea, or another meals.
• Natural Progesterone Cream – Menstrual troubles are sometimes as a result of hormone imbalances, like low progesterone. Progesterone cream is particularly useful for these with quick cycles. It could possibly additionally assist in case you have a brief second part of your cycle (ovulation via the beginning of menses). In case you do use progesterone cream, do your analysis. Go for soy-free and solely use it throughout ovulation via menses. Examine with a health care provider or healthcare supplier earlier than utilizing any hormone complement.

Which Delivery Management Strategies I Don’t Advocate

There are some non-hormonal contraception strategies I don’t advocate. This is because of their potential toxicity, impact on the physique, or potential for miscarriage. 

Delivery Management Sponge

The contraceptive sponge is non-hormonal nevertheless it has chemical substances. It’s fabricated from polyurethane — a squishy plastic. Then it’s doused with a chemical known as Nonoxynol-9. This chemical can irritate your vagina, rising your threat of an infection. Nonoxynol-9 is taken into account secure to be used in private care merchandise in the US. However for some motive, the European Union has banned them… 

Copper IUD

Gynecologists usually advocate copper IUDs as a pure sort of contraception. Whereas they’re technically non-hormonal, copper has a serious impact on hormones. Copper, when it will get out of stability with zinc, may cause every kind of well being issues. A few of these embody estrogen dominance, PCOS, and breast most cancers.

Tubal Ligation or Vasectomy 

Tubal ligation and vasectomies are each types of sterilization. They’re 99% efficient however can include dangers.

Ladies usually check with tubal ligations as “getting your tubes tied.” Tubal ligation is a surgical process that blocks or removes part of your fallopian tubes. It prevents eggs out of your ovaries from assembly up with sperm within the fallopian tubes. That’s the place they’d in any other case be fertilized and implant themselves within the uterus.

A vasectomy can also be a surgical process of blocking or eradicating tubes. On this case, the small tubes in a person’s scrotum are blocked or eliminated. The result’s sperm can’t depart the physique and trigger a being pregnant.

Vasectomies can enhance the danger of prostate most cancers and autoimmune disease. And girls with tubal ligations have a better likelihood of harmful ectopic pregnancies.

Any Type of Emergency Contraception

Copper IUDs are typically used as emergency contraception. Emergency contraception, whether or not it’s a Plan B tablet or a copper IUD has abortion-inducing properties. Whereas it’s a non-hormonal contraception possibility, I don’t advocate copper IUDs as emergency contraception.

Why I Don’t Advocate Herbs For Non-Hormonal Delivery Management

Some herbs can work as contraceptives, however I can’t listing them or advocate them for a number of causes:

• Many have abortifacient properties that may result in early miscarriage.
• Most additionally impression the physique in the identical method that hormonal contraceptives do. So, they will trigger comparable issues for the mom as nicely. Herbs are efficient and potent, and must be used with care. It’s vital to keep away from sure herbs for these causes.
• Not one of the “contraceptive” herbs are 100% efficient. They’ve unwanted effects, and lots of may cause delivery defects if conception does happen.

Pure Methods to Stop or Delay Being pregnant 

Synthetic hormones aren’t one thing I need to take. However what if balancing hormones isn’t the explanation for taking hormonal contraceptives? Perhaps you actually have to delay or stop being pregnant. In that case, there are higher contraception choices.

The next strategies of contraception are significantly better on your physique.

Non-Hormonal Delivery Management: Pure Household Planning (NFP)

Pure Household Planning (NFP) or Fertility Consciousness Strategies (FAM) are pure strategies of being pregnant prevention. However they will additionally enable you to get pregnant. They do that by specializing in pure hormonal cues.

These strategies carry no unwanted effects and assist ladies get to know their our bodies higher. Some ladies uncover issues (endometriosis, anovulation, and so forth.) from working towards these strategies. A aspect profit is that they assist ladies be extra in contact with their pure hormonal cues. 

Whereas these strategies get a foul rap, they’ve come a great distance from the Rhythm Strategies of the previous. Many at the moment are as efficient as hormonal strategies (and simpler than barrier strategies) when used constantly. It’s non-hormonal contraception that may both delay or obtain being pregnant. So should you determine to get pregnant, you don’t have to fret about infertility, delivery defects, or delayed fertility after discontinuing.

The fundamental idea is to make use of cues to foretell ovulation and keep away from intercourse while you’re fertile. These are issues like basal physique temperature (utilizing a basal or BBT thermometer), mucus manufacturing, and cervical place. It’s also possible to use an ovulation calculator to seek out the fertile window in your menstrual cycle.

There are lessons educating the best way to observe these strategies throughout the nation. However for individuals who can’t discover a class, there are websites like Fertility Friend. This free web site permits customers to chart their signs and pinpoint ovulation. There are even apps and cell options for simple monitoring.

Excessive Tech NFP 

After one in every of my pregnancies, I made a decision to go high-tech. I used a pc to do the NFP monitoring and calculation for me. Due to rising know-how, there are a number of glorious choices accessible now (I’d use all listed):

• The OvaCue Fertility Monitor / Mobile Version for iPhone. –  The OvaCue predicts ovulation utilizing a patented Electrolyte Methodology™. This method is 98.3% correct in predicting ovulation in medical research overseen by the Nationwide Institute of Well being. Throughout your month-to-month cycle, your physique retains or discards electrolyte minerals. Suppose, sodium and potassium. The OvaCue tracks adjustments in these electrolyte ranges in your saliva. It processes this data to exactly outline your “time of peak fertility.” I’ve used the OvaCue even when nonetheless breastfeeding to keep away from being pregnant. It even helped detect my double ovulation.
• If these choices aren’t a very good match, you are able to do NFP with out a pc. All you want is an easy Basal Thermometer. You then observe the tactic manually.
• Strategies like ClearBlue monitors measure Luteinizing Hormones and estrogen to pinpoint ovulation. Although cheaper upfront, these require shopping for extra ovulation strips, which you utilize every day. So, they are often costlier in the long term.
• Fertile Focus – This can be a easy and cheap fertility detector. The fundamental thought is that this microscope exhibits adjustments in saliva earlier than ovulation (the identical adjustments the Ovacue can learn). By inspecting saliva every day, you may predict when ovulation happens. I exploit this together with the OvaCue Mobile for the perfect accuracy. 

Try my full opinions of those completely different fertility monitors here.

Good Outdated Original Condoms 

Male condoms are nonetheless the preferred type of non-hormonal contraception world wide. Individuals like condoms as a result of they’re each easy and efficient and accessible over-the-counter. However they want a correct match. To make sure a very good match, have your accomplice go to myONE Perfect Fit to seek out one that matches nicely. They’ve ten lengths, 9 sizes, and 60 complete choices.

Whereas condoms are a well-liked possibility primarily based on medical data, they is probably not a very good possibility primarily based in your religion or spiritual beliefs. 

Caya Diaphragm for Non-Hormonal Delivery Management

Utilizing a diaphragm is one other sort of hormone-free contraception to look into. It’s a reusable cup that matches contained in the vagina and over the cervix. The concept is to create a barrier between the uterus and sperm.

Most diaphragms are latex, which some folks have allergic reactions to. The Caya Contoured Diaphragm is silicone. As a result of it’s one-size-fits-all, it doesn’t should be fitted by your physician. You should purchase it instantly on-line or get a prescription out of your pharmacist. It’s eco-friendly and provides you the choice of occasional safety. It simply requires a water-based spermicide. There are pure variations like lemon juice and others.

Bear in mind that as a result of diaphragms can put stress in your urethra, they’re linked to urinary tract infections (UTIs). 

Cervical Cap

A cervical cap is just like a diaphragm in that it matches contained in the vagina and over the cervix. The one accessible in the US known as FemCap® and is fabricated from silicon. For the perfect efficiency, it must be mixed with a spermicide of some type. Once more, you should use a extra pure model of this non-hormonal contraception.

Withdrawal or “Pull-Out” Possibility

In case you want unprotected intercourse, you may have your man pull out his penis earlier than ejaculation. You must make sure that to do it appropriately each time. That’s possible why it has a 22% failure charge. This type of non-hormonal contraception is widespread however dangerous. You may make it simpler by combining it with a male condom.

What do you suppose? Ever used pure strategies for balancing hormones or delaying being pregnant? Produce other recommendations? Share under!