Medicines to avoid pregnancy

Definition

We speak of a state of pregnancy when a woman, in her fertile period, carries the fruit of fertilization in her womb. According to the thought of some authors, pregnancy begins at the precise moment when the spermatozoon, having reached the fallopian tube, meets the egg and fertilizes it; others, on the other hand, believe that we can speak of pregnancy only when the embryo is implanted in the endometrium of the uterine wall.

Symptoms

Pregnancy is one of the most shocking and extraordinary periods that a woman encounters in her life: every woman reacts differently to what is happening to her, both emotionally and physically. It is difficult to describe a precise symptom picture accompanying pregnancy, especially if the woman is facing her first gestation; Amenorrhea (the absence of menstruation) is undoubtedly the symptom that unites the vast majority of pregnant women, often associated with breast tenderness with pain on palpation, asthenia, increased frequency of urination, dizziness, hypersensitivity to odors and / or foods, increased basal temperature, urinary incontinence, nausea, vomiting. Other women do not realize they are pregnant because they do not complain of any appreciable symptoms: what has been said highlights how every organism reacts in a completely subjective way to this wonderful experience.

The information on Pregnancy - Drugs to prevent pregnancy is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Pregnancy - Medicines to avoid pregnancy.

Medicines to avoid it

Paradoxically, today, in our modern civilization, unexpected pregnancy is still seen as a taboo: unmarried couples who bring a new life to life are sometimes looked at with a strange eye. Boys, young people, should be carefully educated on contraceptive methods to avoid (or prevent) pregnancy, when (clearly) it would be unwanted; some women may even decide to terminate the pregnancy if it has already begun, usually by the 16th week of gestation. Clearly, the topic is very delicate and risks leading to equally thorny reflections: therefore, the objective of this article is certainly not to make the reader think, but rather to describe, in an objective and detached way, all the methods used to prevent pregnancy. to avoid it both before implantation (hormonal, mechanical or natural contraception), and after implantation has already taken place (chemical abortion methods).

Hormonal contraceptives (pregnancy prevention to avoid conception)

Hormonal contraceptives prevent ovulation, thus inhibiting the release of the egg cell from the ovaries; in addition to this fundamental concept, hormonal-based contraceptives also act by increasing the density of the cervical mucus, such as to prevent the passage to the spermatozoa. Again, the contraceptive hormonal, by modifying the environment of the fallopian tubes and the intrauterine site, prevents implantation and fertilization. Let's see, below, what are the most commercialized methods of contraception:

• transdermal patch (formulated with progestogens and / or estrogens): it is a drug that acts transdermally by releasing ethinyl estradiol and norelgestromin (estrogen and progestogen hormones respectively) which, through the skin, reach the bloodstream avoiding ovulation.

Eg:

• Evra: the trans dermal patch (4 cm per side) contains 6mg of norelgestromin and 600mcg of ethinylestradiol. Apply the patch on the first day of your period and keep it in that position for a week. Replace it the following week, on the same day you started. Repeat the application until the third week. During the fourth week menstruation occurs. At the end of the fourth week, repeat the treatment scheme just described.

• Vaginal ring:
  • ethinyl estradiol + etonogestrel (eg Nuvaring): the contraceptive ring, flexible with an external diameter of 54 mm and transverse of 4 mm, contains 11.7 mg of etonogestrel and 2.7 mg of ethinyl estradiol. Insert the ring deeply into the vagina on the first day of the cycle. menstrual and withhold it for three weeks. After 21 days, remove the device for 7 days, during which menstruation occurs. Then proceed with the therapeutic scheme just described.

• Spiral or IUD: alternative contraceptive method, introduced into the woman's uterus by a gynecologist during menstruation and left there for a few years. The method prevents fertilization or hinders the implantation of the embryo in the woman's uterus. The device contains progesterone, which is released gradually.

• Birth control or contraceptive pill: estrogen-progestogen (combined) or minipill (formulated with progestins only). It is one of the most widely used hormonal contraceptive methods of all, preferred by young and very young people with a fixed partner. The contraceptive pill has a very high contraceptive reliability margin (up to 99.9%), but does NOT protect in any way from sexually transmitted diseases.
  • Ethinylestradiol / Levonorgestrel (eg Loette, Microgynon, Miranova, Egogyn): these are contraceptive pills useful to avoid conception and to inhibit the overproduction of gonadotropins, which as we know is the main trigger of the polycystic ovary. These drugs are available in packs of 21-28 tablets: each tablet consists of 0.02 mg of ethinylestradiol and 0.1 mg of levonorgestrel. Pharmacological treatment involves taking one tablet a day, for 21 days, possibly at about the same time each day, followed by a free interval of one week.
  • Desogestrel / Ethinylestradiol (eg Gracial, Novynette, Lucille, Dueva, Securgin): these are coated tablets, consisting of 20 mcg of ethnylestradiol and 150 mcg of desogestrel. The posology and method of administration mirrors that described above.
  • Desogestrel (eg Cerazette): this is the minipill, formulated with progestin hormones only (it is not formulated with estrogen). The effectiveness of the minipill is comparable to that of common combined birth control pills; generally, there are fewer side effects from administering a similar drug.
  • Norethisterone enanthate (eg Primolut NOR): long-acting progestin administered by injection; causes complete contraception for eight weeks. Used only as a short-term hormonal contraceptive method. The drug is also useful for preventing ectopic pregnancy and ovarian cysts.
  • Medroxyprogesterone acetate (eg Farlutal, Provera G): it is a long-acting progestin, administered to the woman intramuscularly: its effectiveness is comparable to that of combined hormonal contraceptives, although it can create unpleasant side effects ( eg menstrual changes and delayed recovery of fertility after its suspension, decreased bone density, osteoporosis). Administration of this drug in young women is only recommended if other contraceptive methods are not appropriate. It is recommended not to use the drug. drug for more than two consecutive years and not to use in case of a tendency to osteoporosis.

Non-hormonal contraception: barrier method: the use of condoms, from the initial moment of intercourse, is the only method that ensures coverage not only from pregnancy, but also from sexually transmitted diseases. The contraceptive pill, in fact, although it ensures an "excellent protection from unwanted pregnancy, does not in any way cover the possibility of contracting a venereal disease. From these words we understand how occasional sexual relations, with different partners, should always be protected with a barrier method.

• Condom: barrier contraceptive method par excellence, able to ensure protection from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases equal to 98-99.8%.
• Diaphragm: it is a small soft rubber dome, mounted on a malleable and flexible ring, to be inserted near the neck of the uterus before sexual intercourse. The contraceptive method is rather complex to insert, as well as not being completely safe. ; consequently it is a contraceptive practice that is now going into disuse. The failure rate is estimated at around 20%.

High-risk contraception:

there are so-called "natural" contraceptive methods (admitted by the church and religion) to avoid pregnancy; the fundamental point is that they ARE NOT RELIABLE like hormonal or mechanical contraceptives (condoms). It is therefore recommended to avoid the practice of similar methods qualified as "contraceptives" if you do not want to become pregnant in any way. However, below are the natural contraceptive methods:

1. Interrupted coitus: unfortunately widely practiced by young and very young people, the highly risky method consists in the immediate and timely interruption of sexual intercourse a few moments before ejaculation: in this contraceptive practice (only apparently safe), the man avoids that the sperm enters the vagina.
2. Basal temperature method: A woman's basal temperature is subject to fluctuations during the 28-day cycle. It seems that during ovulation the basal temperature increases by 0.5-0.6 ° C. The most fruitful period for the woman begins 3 days before the basal temperature rise and ends 3 days later: in case the woman wants to avoid pregnancy, should abstain from intercourse precisely in this period.
3. Ogino-Knaus method or calendar method: (useful, above all, to obtain the opposite effect, since with this method the woman understands in which days she is most fertile).According to this practice, it seems that the woman is fertile from the 10th to the 18th day of the cycle: during this time, the woman should abstain from sexual relations with her partner. The contraceptive guarantee is particularly low: only women with a very regular menstrual cycle of 27-32 days could ideally make use of this practice.
4. Billings method: consists in the evaluation of the cervical mucus. When the woman is in the ovulatory phase, the mucus appears thicker and more stringy (it coincides approximately with the middle of the cycle); therefore, to avoid pregnancy, the woman should abstain from intercourse during this period.

Post-coital contraception:

Let's clarify a fundamental concept immediately, in order to avoid doubts or perplexities: post-coital contraception must not be considered a first-choice method of contraception, as is the contraceptive pill.
Contraceptive methods that avoid pregnancy after unsafe intercourse should only be used in cases of high risk of becoming pregnant (when, clearly, pregnancy is unwanted). Let's see what are the possible methods:

1. Post-coital oral contraception or morning-after pill: it is a pill that has nothing to do with those just described, even if it is still formulated with hormones. We are talking about a progestin preparation indicated ONLY for emergency contraception, to be taken - it should be specified once again - following a potentially and highly risky sexual intercourse. The drug can be sold under a non-repeatable medical prescription. to be taken no later than 72 hours after intercourse at risk. It is NOT an abortive method because it has no effect on the implantation of the embryo and does not prevent the access of the spermatozoon inside the egg.

   Levonorgestrel (eg Norlevo, Levonelle): the morning after pill is formulated with 750 mcg of levonorgestrel. Each pack consists of two pills, to be taken simultaneously within 72 hours of intercourse. The sooner the morning-after pill is used following an unsafe intercourse, the more likely it is to take effect. The dosage of the progestin in the morning-after pill is 20-30 times higher than that of the common contraceptive pills: the two pills exert their therapeutic action differently.

2. Copper IUD spiral (copper has a good spermicidal effect): this contraceptive practice can also be considered a post-coital contraceptive method. In this case, the insertion of the spiral must take place within 7 days after intercourse at risk of pregnancy.

Drug-induced abortion:

1. Abortion pill or RU-486 (eg Mifegyne): which should not be confused with the morning after pill. The abortion pill is formulated with a synthetic steroid, mifepristone, to be taken within two months of pregnancy. It is formulated in pill form to be taken by mouth, and does not require any surgery. While the morning-after pill acts on ovulation, the abortion pill is able to block pregnancy by exerting its action on the implantation of any embryo. For the posology, consult your doctor.

All couples who decide to have sexual intercourse must be aware that they run the risk of an unwanted pregnancy; therefore, the implementation of natural strategies for respecting certain ethical and moral rules does not make much sense. The safest contraception is certainly the preventive one, using condoms or the contraceptive pill: it should be emphasized, however, that no contraceptive method gives a 100% guarantee.
Only complete abstention from sexual intercourse (ergo chastity) ensures absolute "protection" from pregnancy.