- Not controlling is not worth it In 1 year, there is an 85% risk of pregnancy or 6 out of 7 cases, even if you have sex infrequently, you must control it
- Wear a condom correctly every time Otherwise, there is a 14% chance of pregnancy or 1 in 6 cases in 1 year due to incorrect usage, delayed application, slipping, breaking, or leaking. Therefore, it must be worn correctly, with a condom size that is not too big or too small, used for no longer than 30 minutes, not too vigorously. If it hurts, use additional lubricant such as KY jelly or glycerin, which has silicone as a solvent
- Wearing a condom will prevent sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, and prevent HPV which causes cervical cancer
- Take emergency contraception only when necessary and as soon as possible because it cannot be compared to other better methods. Although it can be used within 5 days after unprotected sex or failure of other contraceptive methods, it will not prevent pregnancy if ovulation has already occurred. Therefore, the pill can prevent pregnancy differently from 52 – 94%, so it should not be used often. Taking the pill sooner is more effective within 72 hours after intercourse, and it is better to take 2 pills at once rather than waiting 12 hours between 1 pill
- Be cautious of pregnancy when taking emergency contraception, wait for menstruation In this case, there is a high risk of pregnancy, such as if no contraception was used at all, rape occurred, the condom broke or slipped, or if 2 or more contraceptive pills were missed, the 3-month contraceptive injection was delayed by more than 4 weeks, the 1-month contraceptive injection was delayed by more than 7 days, and withdrawal failed. You can be sure you are not pregnant when menstruation occurs, and even if pregnant, it will not cause birth defects
- Taking 1 set of emergency contraception (2 pills) is effective only for that particular intercourse. If you have sex again, you should take a new set
- Taking birth control pills is very safe Monthly birth control pills can be used safely for many years without needing to take breaks. The pills will prevent pregnancy only when taken consistently and will not prevent pregnancy after stopping. After stopping the pills, you can become pregnant quickly, and menstruation will return to normal. The pills do not cause harm or birth defects. This birth control can be used by women of all ages, without fear of breast cancer, and most women will not gain or lose weight from taking the pills. The chance of pregnancy is 6 – 8 per 100 women in 1 year or 1 in 17 women, but if used correctly, it will be 1 in 1,000 women in 1 year
- When taking birth control pills, you must know how to take them correctly If you forget to take 1 pill, take the missed pill immediately and continue with the remaining pills as usual. If you forget 2 or more pills in the first 14 pills, take the most recent missed pill immediately and continue with the remaining pills as usual, and use condoms for the next 7 days. If you forget 2 or more pills from pills 15 – 21, take 1 pill immediately and continue taking the remaining pills daily until pill 21, and use condoms for 7 days, then start a new pack immediately, discarding the last 7 placebo pills (in the case of a 28-pill pack)
- Withdrawal should be the last method It is not recommended to use this method because millions of sperm are released with pre-ejaculatory fluid during intercourse. Self-control to withdraw the penis before ejaculation or knowing the exact moment of ejaculation is not possible, leading to a 22 – 27% chance of pregnancy, which women must know is extremely risky. Therefore, do not make it convenient and easy, but women will become pregnant, so do not trust it, and the pregnancy rate may be very high if the man has premature ejaculation or little experience. If you want to please your partner, women should take or inject or implant birth control, which will have a very low chance of pregnancy, 0.1 – 0.3%
- Withdrawal followed by emergency contraception is very risky Better not to do it because the doctor says we should choose a better method, there is no need to risk the future, and
- “Abstaining from sex is the safest” so that teenagers do not become parents too soon
Someone said, “The single biggest reason for unplanned pregnancy is not the inefficiency of contraceptive methods, but because the couple did not use any contraceptive method at all.”
Safe love, no pregnancy, prevent sexually transmitted diseases, use effective contraception along with using condoms every time you have sex
RSATHAI understands, cares, and is concerned about your quality of life
By Dr. Rueangkitt Sirikanjanakul, RSA Volunteer Network