Women on birth control
There are lots of choices with birth control. From pils to IUDs, steralization and even forgoing medical options altogether for a natural method. No method is fool proof against pregnancy. Yet, all except the natural family planning method come with side effects. So, why is birth control primarily the woman’s responsibilty? Why must we be fully accountable and risk suffering from other issues, sometimes serious ones like stroke or blood clots? Is it possible to have a shift in culture where men can be the ones who are primarily responsible for birth control?
Men on birth control
There are three commonly used forms of birth control for men: condoms, the withdrawl method, and vasectemies. In terms of effectiveness, a vasectemy is most effective yet requires the most sacrifice. Hence, men are less likely to choose this option over other ones. It is also worth noting that vasectemies are not always reversable and voluntarily giving up one’s fertility is not a decision to take lightly. There is also research as well as personal stories in which the side effects of a vasectemy were more than that of a simple procedure. Side effects such as loss of sexual desire and even chronic pain were reported. The history of vasectemies is rooted in eugenics and frequently used by dictators like Hitler, yikes. You can read more about this in an article posted by Evie Magazine. Read it here.
Basically no birth control method male or female comes without risks. Condoms seem to be a better solution yet they are not always reliable due to the risk of breaking and this puts most of the responsibility on your male counterpart.
Do you really want to rely fully on him to prevent pregnancy?
A joint effort
How to avoid pregnancy or start a family is a discussion to have before sex not after. Look at it this way, if you do happen to become pregnant then what happens? Do you have a plan beforehand or will you figure it out as you go? With any situation planning ahead will result in the best outcome and cause you the least amount of stress. Finding out you’re pregnant should be a time to celebrate not panic. It’s stress-inducing to think about having to worry every month while frantically googling pregnancy symptoms. As women, we deserve better. It shouldn’t primarily rely on us in terms of birth control. Rather, it should be a joint effort.
A better option
The Natural Family Planning method is simply tracking your cycle. Click here to read. Not only does this benefit you as a natural method of birth control with no side effects but it also gives you greater insight into your own body thus giving you more control over your body. So, how does this become a joint effort? When you are in your fertile window you avoid intercourse. Together, you and your partner are in control of when you want to start a family or if you don’t. It’s really that simple. Previously, I used apps to track my cycle like Clue, Flo, or Ovia while using the Natural Family Planning method. I thought these were sufficient as I was only giving the starting day of my period and the ending day. However, these apps mainly use an algorithim to guess your fertile window. Rather, I have switched to the FEMM app where it takes data throughout your entire cycle as well as input if you want to use a basal thermometer to further the accuracy of your fertile window. A basal thermometer takes your temperature to the 1/10th or even the 1/100th degree, during ovulation your temperature will rise slightly which normally cannot be detected with a basic thermometer. You can purchase a basal thermometer at most grocery stores or pharmacies. FEMM encourages you to input data everyday that way it is most accurate in finding your fertile window.
When the Natural Family Planning method is used correctly it is just as effective as the other highly effective methods of birth control. However it comes with added benefits of no side effects, control over your own body, and holding your partner just as accountable in the possibilty of becoming pregnant.
Want to learn more about taking control of your body and getting off of artificial birth control? Visit the website MagentaYou.
What if the thought of having this conversation makes me uncomfortable?
If you’re not comfortable having a conversation of the possibility of becoming pregnant after sex with your partner than should you really be comfortable having sex with that person?