Contraception Specialist

What is contraception?

Contraception is another word for birth control, which is the act of preventing pregnancy. There is a contraception method to suit everyone, each differing in effectiveness and how they work, as well as how long they last. Various methods include medications, procedures, devices, and modifying behaviors.

What are the different types of contraception?

There are two main types of birth control among your contraceptive options: hormonal methods and barrier methods.

Hormonal methods use hormones to make your body act differently. Some stop you from releasing eggs completely, while others just make it difficult for sperm to reach the egg that is released. A few examples of hormonal methods include:

• Contraceptive pill
• Contraceptive ring
• Intrauterine system method (IUS)
• Contraceptive injections
• Contraceptive patch
• Contraceptive implants

Barrier methods stop sperm from getting anywhere near your egg in the first place by stopping them as soon as they’re released. A few examples of barrier methods include:

• Condoms
• Cervical cap
• Diaphragm
• Intrauterine devices (IUDs)
• Contraceptive sponge

The effectiveness of contraception varies based on the method you choose, as well as your consistency. However, the more careful and consistent you are, the higher the rate of effectiveness for each contraception method.

What is the NuvaRing?

NuvaRing is a special type of contraceptive ring that's inserted into your vagina to provide birth control and prevent pregnancy. The ring is a small, flexible piece of plastic that works like a birth control pill, but only needs to be inserted once a month.

How does the NuvaRing work?

You insert and remove the NuvaRing yourself, kind of like a tampon. However, the ring remains in your vagina for three weeks before you take it out. Then you put in a new ring, one week later.

NuvaRing works by releasing a continuous low dose of hormones once it’s inserted into your vagina. The hormones released, estrogen and progestin, are the same types of hormones found in a typical contraceptive pill. The ring doesn’t have to be in any specific position in your vagina to allow the two hormones to work together in order to prevent pregnancy.

What is Essure®?

Essure® is an FDA-approved, non-hormonal permanent birth control option. Dr. Chandrasekhara places a soft, flexible insert into each of your Fallopian tubes. Over the course of three months, your body forms a barrier around these inserts, ultimately preventing you from becoming pregnant in the future. The scar tissue of the barrier prevents the sperm from reaching your eggs. However, while the barrier forms during this initial three-month period, you must continue to use an alternate form of birth control. This minimally invasive procedure takes about 36 minutes and is 99.3% effective.

Dr. Chandrasekhara can discuss the different contraceptive options available, so you can make an educated decision on which method might be the best for you.

Call Gateway OB/GYN today or schedule an appointment online.