If you're like me, you find yourself with the TV on quite a bit. Sometimes I'm not even watching it; I just like to have something going on the background when I'm home by myself during the day. It doesn't really matter what channel I have on because they all have one thing in common; they all run the same prescription-drug commercials over and over again. Try as you might, you can't help but get a few of them stuck in your head. Two that I've seen more often than others are for two new forms of birth control-Mirena and Nuvaring. What are these, and how do they work? While your doctor will ultimately decide if either of them are right for you, here is some basic information.
Mirena is a small, soft intrauterine device that releases a small amount of a hormone called levonorgestrel directly into the uterus. Levonorgestrel is a progestin hormone that is commonly used in birth control pills. It does one of three things:
-Make the lining of your uterus too thin for a fertilized egg to implant. This thinning is why Mirena is also used to treat heavy periods.
-Thicken your cervical mucus so that sperm can't reach your uterus.
-Keep any sperm that does make it into the uterus from reaching or penetrating an egg.
It is attached to threads, similar to a tampon. It's placed in the uterus by your doctor and can prevent pregnancy for up to 5 years. It's usually recommended for women who have already had a child, but aren't sure they want another at this time. The good thing about this form of birth control is that, if you decide you do want another child, it can be removed and you can get pregnant again right away. If five years have gone by and you're still not sure, your doctor can place a new one.
Nuvaring is a small, flexible vaginal ring that releases a low dose of the hormones estrogen and progestin into your bloodstream. They are the same hormones found in the pill, but you don't have to think about taking it every day. Basically, you will insert it the same way you might a tampon-push the sides together and insert it into your vagina until it is comfortable. It won't go past the cervix, so don't worry about pushing it in too far. Leave it in for three weeks, take it out, and put in a new one a week later. Since it uses the same hormones as the pill, it follows a similar schedule. Make sure you are removing and re-inserting Nuvaring on the same day of the week and at the same time of day to ensure continuous protection.
As I try to mention any time I write an article on this blog, this is for information only. It is meant to give you an idea of what to ask your doctor next time you see her, but ultimately she'll know if either of these forms of birth control are right for you.
If you're not sure of your options when it comes to birth control, Planned Parenthood has a convenient tool:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/all-access/my-method-26542.htm
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