All you Need to Know about Birth Control

This article will start with the obvious. If you want to avoid STD’s and pregnancy, abstinence is the best option, however, it’s not the only option. Expecting people who want to have sex to not have it because an intangible authority figure says they shouldn’t isn’t productive and assigning guilt or shame to something quite fun that allows people to connect in a very intimate way will only cause problems. What happens between consenting adults should stay that way and has no bearing on society, as a whole.
That being said, penetrative sex isn’t the end-all to be-all of sexual expression. Most people with a vagina cannot orgasm from penetrative sex, and some people simply do not enjoy it. One way to avoid respective ejaculates from coming into contact with each other is frottage. Fully-clothed frottage is sometimes colloquially referred to as “dry-humping” and occurs when people rub against each other in a sexual manner. No fluids are exchanged and therefore the risk of STD’s and pregnancy is reduced to nil. The same can be said for digital stimulation, or “handjobs” which are excellent tools for copulation and increase the likelihood of each party reaching a climax. As a matter of fact, pregnancy is easily avoided by removing the option of sperm coming into contact with a vulva.
However, if one is interested in penetrative sex – including oral – it is very important to stay safe while doing so. The most popular option is “the pill” – which can be either combination hormonal methods containing both estrogen and progestin (synthetic progesterone). Combination methods include pills (“the Pill”), skin patches, and rings or progestin-only hormonal methods include pills, also called “mini-pills”; shots (such as Depo-Provera); and implants (such as Implanon). If you cannot take estrogen, a progestin-only method may be an option for you. There is also a hormonal IUD that releases a type of progestin. IUDs are very dangerous however, and have been known to cause permanent infertility as well as intense pain and perforation of the uterine wall.
Another great choice is the outer, penile latex or polyurethane condom. The “male” condom prevents transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, is easy to carry and to use, and doesn’t need a prescription, unlike The Pill. There are some risks, such as breakage of condom if not sufficient lubrication is used or if the prophylactic is very old. Remember to leave space at the tip of the condom to collect sperm. Lubrication with petroleum jelly, or presence of some vaginal medications, can weaken a rubber condom. Seepage of semen around the opening of the condom or condom slipping off after coitus can occur, so grasp the edge of the condom upon withdrawal.

Read more  All you Need to Know about Birth Control