We now live in a world where sex is as normal as going out to the movies. Even teenagers as young as fifteen years old are aware of the concept of premarital sex. And chances are, a lot of adolescents aged 15 to 19 are already sexually active. It is because we take sex so lightly that the rate of accidental pregnancies are going higher and higher up the charts.

While we’re on the subject of being permissive enough to ignore teenage sex, think about this: Do these teenagers know what contraceptives are? Do they know which ones to use and how to properly use it? This article will help children understand birth control more.

What is contraception and how does birth control work?
Birth control is a set of actions, devices, medications used for the sole purpose of preventing conception or pregnancy. It works in three ways:
1.    It prevents the monthly release of an egg cell (ovum) from the ovaries during menstruation.
2.    It thickens the cervical mucus lining so that sperm cells would not be able to swim and join with an ovum.
3.    It changes lining of the uterus to make implantation of a fertilized egg difficult.

What are the different birth control types available?
There are natural methods of birth control. These do not require the aid of any device of medication. The natural method of contraception includes:
1.    Abstinence. This requires a person to totally abstain from engaging in sexual activities of any form.
2.    Withdrawal. This requires the man to pull his penis out of his partner’s vagina before he reaches his climax and ejaculates.
3.    Sexual outercourse. It allows sexual gratification by means of non-penetrative sex. It may be in the form of oral sex or masturbation.
4.    Fertility awareness. This method allows for couples to determine a woman’s safe and unsafe periods by means of careful recording of the woman’s basal body temperature, her first and last day of menstruation, and the consistency of her vaginal mucus secretions.

The barrier method of contraception includes:
1.    Male condom. It is a latex or polyurethane rubber cylinder worn on the man’s penis to block sperm from going into the partner’s body.
2.    Female condom. It is a thin sheath or pouch worn to line the vagina to collect sperm ejaculated by a man during sex.
3.    Cervical cap. It is a barrier made out of either latex or silicone which is placed over the cervix to prevent sperm from entering the female reproductive tract.
4.    Diaphragm. It works much like the cervical cap.

The hormonal birth control method includes:
1.    Oral contraceptive pills. These are pills that contain synthetic versions of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone which aim to normalize a woman’s hormone level to prevent ovulation.
2.    Injectables. It is a progestin-only solution that is injected to prevent ovulation for three months.
3.    Hormonal patches. It is a thin, 2in by 2 in patch that slowly releases hormones into the body within the span of a week before it is replaced.
4.    Birth control implants. It is a thin flexible plastic rod to be inserted under the skin of the upper arm of the woman to slowly release synthetic hormones into the body within the span of a year before it is replaced.

The intra-uterine device (IUD) is a T-shaped rod placed inside the uterus to created a localized inflammation so that the bodies auto-immune system will create white blood cells to repair the infection and in turn kill sperm cells that get within the vicinity of the inflammation.

Choosing the best birth control method to use is a serious matter. Consult your doctor to know more about the different risks and benefits of these contraceptive methods before picking one to use.

Using birth control methods for safe sex and to protect yourself from unplanned parenthood is always a wise decision. But when the times comes that you and your partner decides to start a family,  stopping birth control in order to conceive is often a tricky process. This is especially true if you have been using hormonal birth control methods like injectable or oral contraceptives. Here is a guide if you want to get off birth control for possible conception and pregnancy:

1. Complete your current cycle.

According to Frank Chervenak, MD, chairman of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Cornell University, it is advisable to complete the current cycle of your birth control pills or BCP instead of stopping mid-cycle in order to conceive. He says that continuing with your current BCP pack lessens the risk of irregular bleeding.

2. Stop pill intake at least two or three months before you plan to conceive.

This allows your body to resume its natural hormonal cycle without help from the pill. It also allows hormones from the pill to get out of your system. Stopping two or three months or cycles before you want to conceive also allows you to regulate your ovulation so you can chart when are you most fertile.

3. Use a barrier method after getting off the pill prior to the time you want to conceive.

Although this may seem nonsense after getting off the pill, it is advisable to use an alternative barrier method to prevent an earlier conception than you planned. Barrier methods such as condoms can prevent you from getting pregnant while your body is still trying to get accustomed to life without BCP. Also, using a barrier method or another means of alternative birth control saves you from constant worrying and hoping for a pregnancy. Irregular or missed periods soon after you got off the pill are common occurrences but these do not necessarily mean that you are pregnant.

4. Discontinue habits that can affect your ability to conceive.

Habits such as smoking, drinking, and taking in too much caffeine can affect your ability to conceive even if you got off the pill. Also, these bad habits can cause birth defects in your baby just in case you have an undetected pregnancy soon after getting off the pill. Irregular and missed periods are common and you can get pregnant while assuming that your body is just adjusting to the lack of pill hormones. To be on the safe side, discontinue or temporarily quit these habits after getting off the pill.

5.  Take folic acid supplements and fertility medication.

Folic acid prevents defects during the early development of your baby. Since it’s hard to be sure whether or not you are pregnant soon after quitting BCP, take folic acid supplements just in case you are pregnant. You can expect to conceive and get pregnant two to six months after coming off birth control but still, it is not unusual if getting pregnant takes longer than that.  Consult your gynecologist or a Planned Parenthood doctor for fertility medications you and your partner can take to increase your chances of having a baby.

A very good way to get more detailed information about stopping  birth control and the birth control method that is right for you is to obtain this  free information kit - Stopping Birth Control

and can also be obtained from:

http://www.modernbirthcontrol.com