A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report finds a shift in preferences for birth control among American women, who are increasingly opting for long-lasting reversible contraceptives.Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) include intrauterine devices (IUDs) and subdermal hormonal implants. Although IUDs were used more commonly in the US during the 1970s, concerns over their safety prompted a decline in use of these devices.Since then, however, IUDs have been redesigned with safety in mind, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report shows that there has been growing interest in IUDs and 5-year contraceptive implants – which were approved in 1990 – because these contraceptive methods are highly effective at preventing unintended pregnancies.IUDs are placed inside the uterus, where they release hormones or copper to prevent pregnancies. The CDC say that the failure rate for IUDs is below 1%, making them more effective than the birth control pill, which – partly due to users sometimes forgetting to take the pill – has a failure rate of about 9%.IUDs and hormonal implants have become ‘five times as popular’ over past decade
Leave a reply
A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report finds a shift in preferences for birth control among American women, who are increasingly opting for long-lasting reversible contraceptives.Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) include intrauterine devices (IUDs) and subdermal hormonal implants. Although IUDs were used more commonly in the US during the 1970s, concerns over their safety prompted a decline in use of these devices.Since then, however, IUDs have been redesigned with safety in mind, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report shows that there has been growing interest in IUDs and 5-year contraceptive implants – which were approved in 1990 – because these contraceptive methods are highly effective at preventing unintended pregnancies.IUDs are placed inside the uterus, where they release hormones or copper to prevent pregnancies. The CDC say that the failure rate for IUDs is below 1%, making them more effective than the birth control pill, which – partly due to users sometimes forgetting to take the pill – has a failure rate of about 9%.
Melba Agatep Berbano, MD, FACOG 