Condoms suit some people - do they work for you?
With all of the things that we need to remind ourselves of daily, it's no wonder that we sometimes forget to take our pill.
New research, commissioned by healthcare provider MSD, reveals that 31 per cent of women taking the contraceptive pill are missing two or more pills a month.
The main reasons women gave were that they simply forget, they were too bust or that they were not at home, were the pills are kept.
According to the survey, of those women taking the contraceptive pill, one in 12 are forgetting to take an average of three-to-four pills a month, whilst some are forgetting to take it more than six times in a month.
Further results revealed that 30 per cent of women have had a pregnancy scare as a result of forgetting or not using contraception.
Dr Diana Mansour, Consultant in Community Gynaecology Newcastle Hospitals Community Health, says:
"Many women in the UK feel that 'the Pill' is the ideal contraceptive choice yet remembering to take a daily pill can be difficult and missing pills can result in unplanned pregnancy. There are different contraceptive options to suit our lifestyles and it is worthwhile finding out more by asking your GP, practice nurse, contraceptive clinic staff or looking online at talkchoice.co.uk, as it is important to find a method that suits you."
As well as commissioning the research, MSD have also produced and devloped a new website, talkchoice.co.uk - which is designed to encouage women to think about their contraception choice and choose an option that is right for them and their lifestyle.
They helped to produce the following information about the
Top 10 things that you didn't know about contraception:
1. Making A Choice: There are 15 different methods available free to women in the UK including; the male and female condoms, diaphragms, hormonal methods, the natural method, long acting reversible contraceptives (LARCS) and permanent options. Deciding which option is most appropriate can be challenging, women should find out as much as they can from reliable sources and discuss their choices with a qualified healthcare professional.
2. The First Time: 16 is the most common age for women to start making contraception decisions with one-in-five choosing their first contraceptive at this time.
3. Lifestyle Habits: Over 50 per cent of women over the age of 30 are still using the same method of contraception they chose at 16. GP Dr Martyn Walling comments 'All women should be offered all contraceptive options at every contraceptive review regardless of age or past experience so that she can choose what is right for her and her current lifestyle'.
4. Remember Remember: 31 per cent of women taking the contraceptive pill are missing two or more pills a month with forgetfulness the main reason given. Dr Diana Mansour comments: 'Many women in the UK feel that 'the Pill' is the ideal contraceptive choice yet remembering to take a daily pill can be difficult. There are different contraceptive options to suit our lifestyles and it's worthwhile researching more to find a method that suits you'.
5. Taking Time: Half of British women spend an hour or less choosing which type of contraception to use and almost one in five spend less than 10 minutes on this important decision, it's no wonder that one-in-six women are not sure they are using the best contraception to suit their lifestyle. Dr. Tina Peers, Sexual Health and Contraception Consultant for Surrey PCT comments: 'It's worrying that women spend as little as 10 minutes finding out about choosing their contraception - one of the most significant health decisions a woman can make'.
6. Emergency: 46 per cent of women have taken the 'morning after' pill, however emergency contraception should be reserved for emergencies only and not replace usual methods of contraception. As well as the emergency contraceptive pill, the intrauterine device (IUD) can also be used as emergency contraception by fitting it up to five days (120 hours) after the earliest predicted ovulation.
7. Forward Planning: Although rare, it is possible to become pregnant during a period as pregnancy can occur any time the sperm gets into the vagina. Women often mistake slight bleeding that can occur with ovulation (when the chance of pregnancy is greatly increased) as their period.
8. Keep Protected: Sperm can live in the reproductive system for up to seven days, so its advised to always use a method of contraception to prevent unplanned pregnancies.
9. Scare Tactics: One in three British women has had a pregnancy scare as a result of forgetting or not using contraception including 26 per cent of 16-20 year olds and latest government statistics show that the number of abortions has increased by 8 per cent in the last decade.
10. Family Planning: 40 per cent of women admit that as teenagers they planned to have their children between the ages of 26 and 30, however as they got older, 35 per cent decided to have children at a later age.
tagged in Health Sexual Health