Family Planning And Contraception Specialist
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Total Women's Healthcare of South Broward
OB-GYNs & Aesthetic Medicine Practice located in Hollywood, FL & Pembroke Pines, FL
Whether you are planning a family or not ready to have children, you may want to explore how to manage birth control to either maximize your chances of getting pregnant or avoid getting pregnant. At Total Women’s Healthcare, Dr. Siudmak, MD, Aissel Faquir, DNP, ARNP, or Angela Monprevil, DNP, ARNP can answer your questions and help you choose the best birth control to suit your needs or guide you through your fertility process. For your convenience, you can schedule an appointment at either the Hollywood or Pembroke Pines, Florida office.
Family Planning and Contraception Q & A
What are the different types of birth control?
There are several forms of effective birth control. They can be narrowed down into five categories:
- Hormonal birth control: Birth control pills, patches, vaginal inserts, injections, and implants
- Barrier birth control: Condoms, diaphragms, sponges
- Intrauterine devices (IUDs)
- Emergency birth control: The “morning after” pill
- Surgical birth control: Removing, blocking, or tying off your reproductive organs
These birth control methods vary in effectiveness from 100% for a permanent, surgical option to around 60-80% for condoms and sponges, depending on how they are used. Dr. Siudmak and his team will discuss your options and together you can decide on the form of birth control that is right for you.
What birth control method is right for me?
Deciding which birth control method is right for you will depend on several factors, such as:
- Lifestyle
- Medical history
- Goals
If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you may not be able to use hormone-based birth control. You may also opt for barrier control in the form of a condom to protect against sexually transmitted diseases. With barrier control methods, using them properly is essential to their effectiveness. If you are using condoms and they are not fitted properly, break, slip, or spill, it lowers their ability to protect you against pregnancy.
You also need to consider your lifestyle and personal characteristics. If you run the risk of forgetting a daily regimen, patches, vaginal inserts, IUDs, injections, or hormonal implants may work better for you since you don’t have to remember to take a pill each day. The first step in choosing the right option for you is to sit down with Dr. Siudmak, Aissel Faquir, DNP, ARNP, or Angela Monprevil, DNP, ARNP to review your goals, your habits, and your history.
Do birth control methods have side effects?
This question is common when it comes to hormone-based birth control methods. Barrier methods typically don’t have any side effects unless you have a rare allergy toward the products being used. If you’ve opted for and have been cleared to use hormone-based birth control methods, you may experience some side effects from the regulation of hormones in your system. The most commonly reported are:
- Nausea
- Weight gain
- Spotting between periods
- Lighter bleeding during your period
- Tender and swollen breasts
- Mood swings
If you experience any of these side effects, discuss them with Dr. Siudmak or his team to alter your dosage or provide other options.
