Contraception failed, why?

This is an automatically translated article.

This article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor I Truong Nghia Binh - Obstetrician - Gynecology Department - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.
Knowing how to use contraception will help women be proactive in their birth plans and help mothers avoid obstetric complications and sexually transmitted diseases.

1. Birth control pills

Oral contraceptives contain hormones that inhibit ovulation. If used correctly, it will provide an excellent contraceptive effect, with a success rate of up to 99.7%. But in reality, many women forget to take their daily pills, so the actual success rate is only 91%. Some other reasons leading to contraceptive failure when using oral contraceptives include:
Vomiting or diarrhea lasting more than 48 hours. Are taking the antibiotic rifampin, the antifungal drug griseofulvin, certain antiepileptic drugs, or are an herbal supplement containing St. John's wort. Birth control pills have been shown to not work very well in some studies in overweight or obese women. If you experience any of these reasons, use extra condoms as a backup, or talk to your doctor about changing to another method of birth control.
If you forget to take a pill once, take it immediately when you remember. If you miss more than twice, take it as soon as you remember, then continue taking your pill every day and don't forget to use extra birth control (like condoms) for the next week.
If you are using a progestin-only birth control pill, remember to take it at a fixed time every day (should not be more than 3 hours different from usual), for example, take the pill every day at 7 am, but today took the pill at more than 10 am, so the risk of unwanted pregnancy appeared.

2. Contraceptive patch and vaginal ring

These contraceptives have a similar mechanism of action to the oral contraceptive pill. Their use is by inserting a ring into the vagina (NuvaRing product) or applying the contraceptive patch to the abdomen, arm, buttocks or back (Ortho Evra product). Like oral contraceptives, if done completely according to the instructions for use, it will be 99% effective at preventing pregnancy, but the actual success rate is only 91%, for the following reasons:
A new vagina is not replaced at the correct time each month, or it has been removed from the vagina for more than two days the week it should be used. The patch will not work if it is lost or not replaced at the right time every week. While taking certain medications, drugs that reduce or stop the effectiveness of the pill will have the same effect as the patch and vaginal ring. Being overweight or obese. Studies show that the contraceptive patch is not really effective for women who weigh over 200 pounds (~90.72 kg). If you are using the contraceptive patch or vaginal ring and it is time to replace the new one, forget it, or lose it, use a new one within 48 hours, or if the time has passed two For the next 7 days, additional backup contraception should be used.

3. Injectable Contraceptives

Depo-Provera injectable prevents pregnancy with each injection for 3 months. The pill contains the hormone progestin, which inhibits ovulation. If used correctly, the rate of contraception reaches 99.8%, but sometimes people using this method forget the routine injection every 3 months.
For injectables, it's most important to remember to get your next shot between 10 and 15 weeks after the last shot. If left untreated, additional backup contraception should be used for a week.

4. Contraceptive implant

The contraceptive implant is a thin rod, about the size of a matchstick, that is implanted under the arm. The hormone in the stick will be released into the body, providing effective contraception for up to 3 years. Obviously with this method, there will be no usage that needs to be followed, so the theoretical and practical efficiency is 99%.
However, one thing still has to be remembered, that is, after 3 years, if you still have not planned to get pregnant, you need to see a doctor to replace a new one, otherwise an unwanted pregnancy will happen.

5. Intrauterine device

The IUD is a method of contraception that needs to be performed by a doctor, so there is no need to follow any instructions for use, and the contraceptive rate of this method is above 99.2%. Once an IUD is used, the contraceptive effect lasts for 3 to 10 years. There are two types of IUDs available: copper-based (ParaGard) and hormone-based (Kyleena, Liletta, Mirena, and Skyla).
If there is an unintended pregnancy, it is usually because the IUD has partially or completely fallen out of the uterus.
If this happens, see a doctor immediately, because it can lead to life-threatening complications, such as an ectopic pregnancy. Therefore, it is important to see a doctor as soon as possible. Even if the pregnancy is in the uterus, the doctor still needs to remove the IUD, because leaving the IUD in place will increase the risk of miscarriage.

6. Method of using mechanical barrier

Contraception uses a mechanical barrier such as a diaphragm, cervical cap, male or female condom that acts as a physical barrier, preventing sperm from entering the uterus.
However, this method is less reliable than the hormonal method to prevent pregnancy. For example, the male condom, the success rate can reach 98%, but in reality it only reaches 82%, that is, in a year out of every 100 women who regularly have sex with a partner who uses it. condoms, there will be 18 unintended pregnancies. The most common reason is that the condom is torn or not worn properly.
This method is more effective when combined with spermicide - also another method of birth control.

7. Calculate the menstrual cycle to prevent pregnancy

This is a classic method, a natural method of contraception, that relies on calculating the menstrual cycle to know when you ovulate. To do this method, take your temperature daily, check your cervical mucus, or mark your period on a desk calendar. If done correctly, the failure rate is less than 5%. However, this is a difficult method to implement for most people, so in practice the success rate is only about 76%.
While still a viable method of contraception, it is both difficult to implement and not an option for those with irregular periods.

8. Early signs of pregnancy

If you miss your period, use a pregnancy test to see if you are pregnant. Other signs of pregnancy include fatigue, edema, frequent urination, moodiness, vomiting, and large and tender breasts. Most women with missed periods will have a pregnancy test, but if it's not because of pregnancy, see your doctor if your period is 1 to 2 weeks late to make sure you're not pregnant. pathological etiology.
To choose the right method, you need to have complete knowledge about each method of contraception, go to a reproductive health check-up and consult a specialist.

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Vinmec Medical System is satisfied by customers for its service quality and privacy.
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Articles refer to the source: webmd.com