MUHAMAD ZULHANIF BIN MAT HARUN 940610-11-5849 CM071022 What is birth control? 'Birth control' is a term that describes things that stop a woman or girl from becoming pregnant, or giving birth. Birth control can mean a wide range of things ± from 'contraceptives' (used to reduce the chances of a woman becoming pregnant) to other ways of avoiding pregnancy, like not having sex. Contraception Are there many different methods of contraception? Yes. Contraceptives work by preventing a man¶s sperm from fertilising a woman¶s egg, and this can be done in several different ways. There are two main types of contraception: y Barrier methods - which physically prevent sperm from swimming into the uterus and fertilising the woman¶s egg y Hormonal methods - which alter a woman¶s hormonal cycle to prevent fertilisation. These are the main types of contraception that are generally used by teenagers. Condoms for sale in a Chicago pharmacy Other types of contraception, which are generally not used by young people, include natural methods such as only having sex at certain times of the month (these are often not effective enough), and sterilization, which is a permanent surgical procedure. The intrauterine device (IUD) and intrauterine system (IUS), also known as 'the coil', are generally not used by young people although in some countries, such as the UK, they are now considered suitable for all age groups. Barrier methods of contraception There are three main barrier methods of contraception used by teens: the male condom, the female condom, and spermicides in the form of foams or gels. The male condom Condom The male condom is the only method of contraception that boys can use. It's really just a rubber tube. It's closed at one end like the finger of a glove so that when a boy puts it over his penis it stops the sperm going inside a girl's body. An advantage of using male condoms is that a boy can take an active part in using contraception ± it's not just the girl's responsibility. The female condom female condom The female condom is not as widely available as the male condom and it is more expensive. It is however very useful when the man either will not, or cannot, use a male condom. It¶s like a male condom, except it¶s bigger and worn inside the vagina. It's a good idea to practice with condoms before having sex. You can get used to touching them, and it might help you feel more confident about using them when you do have sex. Spermicides Spermicides are chemical agents that both kill sperm and stop sperm from travelling up into the cervix (the lower part of the uterus, or womb, where babies develop). Spermicides come in different forms including creams, foaming tablets, gels and foam (which is squirted into the vagina using an applicator). Young people who use spermicide mostly choose foam. Spermicides are not very effective against pregnancy when used on their own, but are very effective if used at the same times as a male condom. When used together, the male condom and spermicide can be a great combination for effectively protecting against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV. Some condoms also come lubricated with spermicide (Nonoxynol 9). A spermicidal lubricant aims to provide an additional level of protection if some semen happens to leak out of the condom. This can help to reduce the likelihood of pregnancy, but regular use of Nonoxynol 9 can cause an allergic reaction in some people resulting in little sores that can actually make the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections more likely. Nonoxynol 9 is only a suitable spermicide for a woman who is HIV-negative, and whose partner does not have HIV either. It should only be used for vaginal sex. Hormonal methods of contraception There are two main types of hormonal contraceptive which can be used by teens: the contraceptive pill, and the injectable hormonal contraceptive. If used properly, both are extremely effective in providing protection against pregnancy ± but they provide no protection at all against sexually transmitted diseases. For very good protection against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, a hormonal method should be used at the same time as the male condom. In some countries, contraceptive patches (that stick to the skin) and rings (that go inside the vagina) are also available. The contraceptive pill (sometimes known as the birth control pill) contraceptive pill y What does 'going on the pill' mean? People often talk about being 'on the pill'. This means they are using the oral contraceptive pill as a method of contraception. This has nothing to do with oral sex, and just means that the contraceptive is in pill form which is taken orally (swallowed). y How does it work? The pill contains chemicals called hormones. One type of pill called µthe combined pill¶ has two hormones called Oestrogen and Progestogen. The combined pill stops the release of an egg every month ± but doesn't stop periods. The other type of pill only has Progestogen in it. It works by altering the mucous lining of the vagina to make it thicker. The sperm cannot then get through, and as the sperm can't meet the egg, the girl can't get pregnant. y What do you do? Usually a girl has to take one pill every day for about three weeks. She then takes a break for seven days while she has her period, before starting the cycle again (or instead, she may take µsugar¶ pills for those seven days, i.e. pills that don¶t actually have any affect, but which are taken purely so she keeps in the routine) for seven days. It's very important not to forget to take these pills. If this happens, protection against pregnancy is lost. The Progestogen-only pill also has to be taken at the same time every day. y How effective is the pill? It's a very effective method of contraception if it is taken correctly. If the pill is taken exactly according to the instructions, the chance of pregnancy occurring is practically nil. But if a girl forgets a pill, or is very unwell, its effectiveness is reduced. Another disadvantage of the pill is that it does not provide any protection against STDs. For very good protection against both pregnancy and STDs, the birth control pill should be used at the same time as the male condom. Sperm bank The development of sperm banks, whilst considered by some to be controversial, has enabled people to have greater control over their reproductive lives. By providing sperm from donors who are checked and screened, thousands of women every year are able to bear their own children in circumstances where this might otherwise not be possible. Controversy stems from the fact that donors effectively father children for others, often in considerable numbers, and usually take no part in the upbringing of such children, and also from the fact that single women and coupled lesbians frequently use sperm banks in order to have their own biological children. Storage The sperm is stored in small vials or straws of holding between 0.4 and 1.0 ml and cryogenically preserved in liquid nitrogen tanks. It has been proposed that there should be an upper limit on how long frozen sperm can be stored, however a baby has been conceived in the UK using sperm frozen for 21 years[1]. Before freezing, sperm may be prepared so that it can be used for intra-cervical insemination (ICI), intrauterine insemination (IUI) or for IVF(or Use Sperm supplied by a sperm bank may be used where a woman's partner is infertile or where he carries genetic disease. Increasingly, donor sperm is used to achieve a pregnancy where a woman has no male partner, including among lesbian and bisexual mothers-to-be. Sperm from a sperm donor may also be used in surrogacy arrangements and for creating embryos for embryo donation. Donor sperm may be supplied by the sperm bank directly to the recipient to enable a woman to perform her own artificial insemination which can be carried out using a needle-less syringe or a cervical cap conception device. The cervical cap conception device allows the donor semen to be held in place close to the cervix for between six to eight hours to allow fertilization to take place. Alternatively, donor sperm can be supplied by a sperm bank through a registered medical practitioner who will perform an appropriate method of insemination or IVF treatment using the donor sperm in order for the woman to become pregnant. From a medical perspective, a pregnancy achieved using donor sperm is no different from a pregnancy achieved using partner sperm, and it is also no different from a pregnancy achieved by sexual intercourse. Sperm banks may supply other sperm banks or a fertility clinic with donor sperm to be used for achieving pregnancies. Sperm banks may also supply sperm for research or educational purposes. In countries where sperm banks are allowed to operate, the sperm donor will not usually become the legal father of the children he produces as the result of the use of the sperm he donates, but he will be the 'biological father' of such children. In cases of surrogacy involving embryo donation, a form of 'gestational surrogacy', the 'commissioning mother' or the 'commissioning parents' will not be biologically related to the child and may need to go through an adoption procedure. As with other forms of third party reproduction, the use of donor sperm from a sperm bank gives rise to a number of moral, legal and ethical issues.