Chapter 11: Contraception and Abortion Flashcards
(96 cards)
condom
Sheath made of latex, polyurethane / polyisoprene or animal skin (lambskin) that covers the penis and serves as a barrier to sperm following ejaculation
-Failure rate of 12% associated with improper or inconsistent use
When all age groups were combined, __% used condoms and ___% used oral contraceptives
54.3
43.7
Making these two ways the most common
artificial contraception
Method of contraception that applies human-made device
oral contraceptive
commonly referred to as a birth-control pill, or simply “the pill.”
-Consists of sex hormones
Birth-control pills fall into two major categories:
combination pills and minipills
Combination pills
contain a combination of synthetic forms of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. (The synthetic form of progesterone is called progestin.)
-Inhibit releasing factors, interrupt FSH and LH
-Prevent ovulation
-Direct influence on ovarian follicle
-Estrogen and progestin impact mobility of egg
-Endometrium less developed
-Cervical mucus thickens and is more acidic
(TRUE CONTRACEPTION - no egg to be fertilized)
Minipill
contains only synthetic progesterone (progestin).
-No estrogen
Disadvantage: High level of bleeding irregularities
contains only synthetic progesterone (progestin).
(1) It prevents the ovary from releasing an egg;
(2) it thickens the cervical mucus, making it difficult for the sperm to reach the egg; and
(3) it changes the lining of the uterine wall, making it inhospitable for implantation.
The combination pill is taken for ___ days of the typical 28-day cycle, for seven days, the woman takes no pill, or she takes an inert placebo pill, to maintain the habit of taking a pill a day
21
Seasonale Pill
which is taken for 84 days
-Advantages can include decreased incidence of headaches, bloating, and breast tenderness; improved control of endometriosis symptoms and polycystic ovarian syndrome; and greater convenience because of fewer withdrawal bleeding periods per year
- Disadvantages may include possible delay in recognizing pregnancy, unscheduled bleeding and spotting, and higher costs (though costs are balanced by savings through fewer purchases of tampons, pads, or other sanitary supplies)
Minipills act in two ways
1) They thicken the cervical mucus, to impede the passage of sperm through the cervix
2) they render the inner lining of the uterus less receptive to a fertilized egg.
When it’s used consistently and correctly, the failure rate of the birth-control pill is very low—____% or less, depending on the type of pill
0.5
Under typical use, the failure rate increases to ___%
3
Failures can occur
when women forget to take the pill for two days or more, don’t use backup methods when they first go on the pill, or switch from one brand to another
A woman may temporarily experience reduced fertility after discontinuing oral contraceptives, but their use is not associated with _____
permanent infertility.
-Nearly all women begin ovulating regularly within three months of suspending use
Advantages of oral contraceptives
- nearly 100% effective when it’s used properly
- doesn’t interfere with sexual spontaneity or diminish sexual sensation.
- reduce the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), benign ovarian cysts, and fibrocystic (benign) breast growths
- regularizes menstrual cycles and reduces menstrual cramping and premenstrual discomfort
Disadvantages of oral contraceptives
- no protection against STIs
- reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics used to treat STIs
- woman must plan to begin using the pill at least several weeks before becoming sexually active or before discontinuing the use of other contraceptives.
- Hormone withdrawal when they dont take an active pill; These include headaches, pelvic pain, bloating, and breast tenderness.
Disadvantages of minipills
- produce vaginal dryness causes decreasing sexual sensation and making sex painful
- Irregular bleeding between menstrual periods, or so-called breakthrough bleeding
- psychological effects. Some users report depression and irritability
Breast cancer and the pill
No likely connection
Woman should avoid the pill if
they’ve had circulatory problems, blood clots, coronary disease, heart attacks, strokes, breast or uterine cancers, undiagnosed genital bleeding, liver tumours, or sickle-cell anemia (because of associated blood-clotting problems)
Emergency Contraception (EC) (AKA morning after, or Plan B)
is taken after unprotected sexual intercourse or when contraception fails, such as when a condom breaks.
- most effective when taken within 24 hours, although it is indicated for use up to 72 hours after unprotected sex
- nausea is a common side effect
Two types of Emergency Contraception
The most popular is two 0.75-milligram tablets of levonorgestrel (progestin only), known as Plan B.
The other, known as the Yuzpe regimen (combined estrogen and progestin), combines multiple birth-control pills.
Plan B
has fewer side effects and is more effective than the Yuzpe regimen.
- Plan B isn’t generally considered an abortion pill, because it can’t end an established pregnancy.
- Plan B works by temporarily stopping the release of an egg from the ovary, preventing fertilization, and preventing a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterine wall.
The Contraceptive Patch
-The patch is thin and measures about 5 centimetres. It looks like a square bandage or a nicotine patch
The patch contains a week’s worth of hormones, which it gradually releases into the bloodstream. The patch is worn weekly for three weeks, then the fourth week is patch-free, to allow menstrual bleeding