Cyclebeads

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/this_is_green/2224717957/)
This is something I read about in a womans magazine article. I found it to be very interesting and something many women do not know about. So I researched the topic online, and this is what I learned. It is a very simple system, however, I do not consider it to be foulproof. it does not work for everyone and is probably only good for women with very predictable cycles.

CycleBeads are a highly effective, inexpensive approach to natural family planning. They make it easy for a woman to track her menstrual cycle and clearly identify the days she could become pregnant and the days when pregnancy is most unlikely. CycleBeads have no side effects due to the lack of hormones or chemicals involved. CycleBeads are based on the Standard Days Method, which works best for women who have regular menstrual cycles (between 26 and 32 days long). In this system, days 1-7 of a woman's menstrual cycle are considered infertile. Days 8-19 are considered fertile. Infertility is considered to resume beginning on day 20. When used to avoid pregnancy, the Standard Days Method has a perfect-use failure rate of 5% per year.

How to use CycleBeads:

CycleBeads consist of a series of color-coded beads that represent a woman's fertile and low fertility days. The color of the bead indicates whether she is likely to be fertile or not.

On the first day of her period the woman puts the rubber ring on the red bead. Each day the ring is moved ahead by one bead, always in the direction of the arrow. When the ring is on the red bead or a dark bead, there is a very low chance of pregnancy. When the ring is on a white bead - Days 8 through 19 - there is a high chance of getting pregnant if she has unprotected intercourse.

Natural Birth Control

Natural birth control is one of the most widely used methods. Some religions and cultural beliefs do not allow artificial birth control devices or drugs. The natural birth control method is more acceptable to these people. This method includes a periodic abstinence, with couples avoiding sexual intercourse during the woman's fertile period.

The rhythm method or calendar method, standard days method, and withdrawal method are some of the natural birth control methods.

In the rhythm method, sexual intercourse takes place based on three assumptions. The first is that ovulation occurs fourteen days before the beginning of menstruation. This method also relies upon the fact that the sperm will remain viable for three days and that the ovum survives for twenty-four hours. With these theories in mind, women can decide on the days of abstinence. The standard day method replaced the rhythm method over a period of time. In the standard day method, the first day of a period is considered as day one. Women can have unprotected sex from day one to day seven. From days eight to nineteen, they should avoid sex. From day twenty to the next period, they can again have unprotected intercourse.

Withdrawal is a method of natural birth control in which the man withdraws his penis from the woman before ejaculation. This method does not always work because the man must have enough control to withdraw in time.

Natural birth control methods allow a woman to have an understanding of her body. These methods have no side effects. Natural birth control methods do not require the use of drugs or chemicals. Compared with other birth control methods, a natural birth control method is inexpensive. These methods can also be used to achieve pregnancy. Natural birth control methods require discipline and charting. This is most suitable for women with regular and predictable menstrual cycles.

RU486

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/85944727@N00/273735564/)
Ru486, or "the abortion pill", contains the synthetic steroid mifepristone which interferes with the body's production of progesterone (the hormone that builds up the uterine lining to prepare for pregnancy). Two medications are typically used when performing a medical abortion: Ru486, which stops a fertilized egg from attaching to the lining of the uterus, and misoprostol, which causes uterine contractions.
The abortion pill is approved for women up to 7 weeks pregnant (5 weeks since conception) or up to 49 days after her last menstrual period. Ru486 helps to terminate a pregnancy without surgery and is 92 - 98% effective when used in combination with misoprostol. When mifepristone is used alone, it is only 64 - 85% effective.
Ru486 is highly effective and less painful to the body than surgical abortion. However, mifepristone may not be an option for women with liver or kidney problems, anemia, diabetes, Rh-negative blood or those who are overweight.

Ru486 Side Effects
Minor cramping
Possible nausea
Vomiting and diarrhea
Bleeding can last 8 to 10 days

Will I gain weight?

( http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicagrace/3288035957/)
One of the biggest worries of women starting birth control is the fact that one of the side effects of the pill is weight gain. Weight gain is a common side effect for all hormonal methods of birth control. Women under the pill usually have an increase in appetite and have easier fat depositions. This is because of the increase in hormones. How much a woman will gain tends to vary. On average, women using the birth control pill gain approximately 10 lbs during the first year of use. Some women may gain more while others may not gain any weight at all. A lot of women who stopped using any hormonal birth control find that the weight comes off easily.
There are things you can do to prevent the dreaded 10lb weight gain. All is not lost. You can try other types of birth control. If you want to stay with the birth control pill you are currently using, being more aware of your diet and exercising lifestyle can also help prevent unwanted weight gain.

Birth Control and Bleeding

Are you still bleeding or experiencing spotting while on the pill? If this is the first time you started using birth control pills, it is normal for new users to bleed during the first three months while on the pill. If you continue to bleed while on the pill, speak with your doctor to see if you should come off the pill for a little while. Once you get back on the pill, there should not be anymore bleeding or spotting.
Bleeding or spotting while you are currently using birth control pills is known is breakthrough bleeding. If you are still bleeding or spotting, you should try switching to a different pill. Bleeding or spotting usually indicates that your pills are not as effective as they should be (additional methods of birth control when you are bleeding or spotting are recommended). Spotting is also a symptom of a sexually transmitted disease known as Chlamydia.
This is something I am very familiar with. I used to be on the pill and experienced abnormal breakthrough bleeding, once for three months. At first I thought I was menstruating, but when it wouldn't go away, I knew something else was up.
However, if you are bleeding after intercourse with your partner, that could be a whole other problem. "f you are bleeding after sex, check with your doctor immediately. Vaginal bleeding after sex can indicate the following:
Cervical Dysplasia (precancerous changes of the epithelial cells that line the cervix)
Chlamydia (bacterial infection transmitted through sexual activity or contact with semen, vaginal fluid, or blood)
Gonorrhea (an STD caused by bacteria. Pharmaceutical treatments available)
Vaginitis/Cervicitis (inflammation, swelling, and/or infection of the vagina or cervix)
Cervical Polyps (smooth, red or purple, finger-like growths grown from mucus layer of the cervix or the cervical canal)
Trichomoniasis (STD caused by protozoan)
Vaginal Yeast Infection (overgrowth of the normal fungi in the vaginal area)
Endometritis (inflammation of the endometrium)
Adenomyosis (when an endometrial tissue attaches itself to the uterus, or another organ, and grows outside of the uterus)
Uterine Polyps (overgrowth of the endometrium causing protrusions into the uterus)
Fibroid Tumors (a benign tumor)"
(http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/blog/2008/12/birth-control-and-bleeding.html)

Over 35 too old for Birth Control?

According to certain researchers(and this ), taking birth control over the age of 35 puts you at many health risks. "Heart disease death rates have recently risen in women ages 35 to 44, and no one knows exactly why. This could be due to an increase in obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and smoking, all of which raise heart disease risk. But it could also be because more middle-aged women are using hormonal contraceptives today than ever before." (http://health.usnews.com/blogs/on-women/2009/01/13/should-you-stop-taking-birth-control-pills-if-youre-over-35.html)
There are a number of risks that increase your risk of health problems. They include:

• Smoking: Never, ever take the pill if you smoke—especially if you're over 35. You'll up your odds of blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes, especially if you smoke more than 15 cigarettes a day. Of course, quitting cigarettes will do your heart far more good than avoiding the pill will.

• Obesity: A few extra pounds probably isn't risky, but obese women—defined as having a body mass index over 30—have nearly twice the risk of developing dangerous blood clots if they take the pill compared with women at a healthy body weight.

• High blood pressure: If you have a history of high blood pressure, even if it's well controlled, it's probably best to avoid the pill because it can have a blood-pressure-raising effect. Women under 35 whose hypertension is controlled with medication can safely try oral contraceptives if their blood pressure is monitored, says the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

• Diabetes: The jury's still out as to whether oral contraceptives adversely affect a diabetic's blood sugar levels, but to be on the safe side, ACOG recommends that women over 35 with diabetes avoid the pill.

• High cholesterol: Women whose LDL cholesterol is over 160 mg/dL should avoid using the pill. Ditto for those with a family history of premature heart disease or those with an HDL level less than 35 mg/dL or a triglyceride level greater than 250 mg/dL.

• Migraines: Here's a surprise, at least to me. ACOG recommends against using the pill if you get migraines because some studies have shown that the combination increases a woman's risk of having a stroke by two to three times. I'm going to check with my doctor on this one since I occasionally get migraines—though I used to have far more of them before I went on the pill.

For women who do not smoke or have any of these health problems, the pill can be taken safely into a womans 50s. Birth control can also help with premenstrual symptoms such as hot flashes.

Glamorous Life of Teenage Mother

I know this is a little off topic of the subject of birth control, but when I saw this video, it really made me feel bad for this young girl. She is 19 years old and has an 18 month old son. The father of the child is not around, and she is left to raise the baby on her own. She does not have a job and lives with her mother and grandmother, who do help her.
The short video shows clips from the movie Juno and pictures in magazines from when Jamie Lynn Spears (Britney Spears' little sister) had a baby. The video was hinting at the fact that the media can have a tendency to glorify teen pregnancy. I am not sure how I feel about that statement. I know that teen minds are young and impressionable, but when I was that young, never did the idea of having a baby seem glamorous to me. What came to my mind when I thought about the possibility of becoming pregnant was my parents killing me and the end of my life as I knew it. It is probably the biggest responsibility one can take on. You are in charge of a whole other human being. You have to clothed it, feed it properly, teach it right from wrong-whatever you do is going to shape your child into the person they are going to become for the rest of their lives.
It brought a tear to my eye when the girl in the video started talking about her life and how she has to depend on her mother and grandmother for many things. She said she feels bad asking for things and she knows they get tired of the constant care that goes into raising a child. She had her whole life ahead of her, and now this child has set her back. When teen celebrities have babies, they have money and can go on living a comfortable life. When your average teen has a baby, they usually drop out of school, live below the poverty line and never accomplish the life goals they had before becoming pregnant.
This is a perfect example of why condoms should be distributed in schools to teens who need them and the need for education to inform students how to protect themselves-not only from pregnancy but also diseases.