45: Your Guide to Birth Control (Part 2): Non-Hormonal Birth Control
This is Part 2 of the 3 part series I’m doing on birth control methods – and this week is all about non-hormonal birth control methods! I know not all women with PCOS are keen to get pregnant right now (or at all!) so I wanted to talk more about birth control.
Now when you think about non-hormonal birth control methods you were taught about in school, the (male) condom was one of the only ones they really spoke about – and probably the only one we knew about as young teens until we were introduced to the OCP (Oral Contraceptive Pill).
But there’s so much more to non-hormonal contraception than just the male condom! And that’s what I’m going to dive into today. Again, I’m going to go through: all the options currently available, how they work, the pros, the cons and the research.
If you’re looking for a more natural approach and don’t want synthetic hormones but have no idea where to start – or think that the only thing you can use are condoms – this episode is one you NEED to listen to!
This episode is for you if:
- You’re currently on hormonal birth control and want to know what non-hormonal options are available to you
- You want to know more about the effectiveness of non-hormonal methods
- You have issues with anxiety and/or depression – I’ll explain more on this in the beginning of the episode!
- You want some cheaper alternatives to hormonal birth control methods
- What else these non-hormonal contraceptive methods are useful for preventing
Some things we cover in this episode:
- Copper Coil (IUD)
- Cervical cap / diaphragm
- Sponge
- Male condom
- Female condom
- Spermicides
- Withdrawal Method
- FAMs (Fertility Awareness Based Methods)
- Sympto-Thermal Fertility Awareness
- Lactational Amenorrhea Method
Resources and References:
Copper IUD:
- Inhibition of sperm motility in vitro by copper wire
- 0.8% Failure Rate: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- The Efficacy Of Intrauterine Devices For Emergency Contraception And Beyond: A Systematic Review Update
- Serum Copper in Long-Term Users of Copper Intrauterine Devices
- Changes in copper and zinc serum levels in women wearing a copper TCu-380A intrauterine device
- Decreased Zinc and Increased Copper in Individuals with Anxiety
Fertility Awareness Based Methods:
Sympto-Thermal Fertility Awareness:
Lactational Amenorrhea Method:
Want to understand more about that PCOS root cause, get more information on how your contraception can play into exacerbating symptoms and how you can put your other symptoms into remission? Then come join us in The PCOS Protocol.
We’ll guide you through all of the changes you need to make in order to feel in control of your PCOS and get back to what’s really important to you!
