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Today’s best birth-control options By Dr. Antoinette Marengo-Barbick

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Most women who see their physician for birth control assume they’ll leave with a prescription for the pill. But contraception is no longer synonymous with birth-control pills. A number of reversible, long-term methods are available. The intrauterine device (IUD), vaginal ring, patch, injection and implant are all safe, reversible methods that are effective from 1 week to 10 years at a time. > The IUD is the most popular birth-control method worldwide. It is underused in this country, unfortunately, due to past safety concerns. However, an IUD is a good choice for women who cannot tolerate the pill or other hormonal methods. Two types are available: the Copper-T IUD and the hormone-secreting IUD. Both are safe and effective, and fertility returns rapidly after removal. Your gynecologist inserts the IUD during an office visit. With the Copper-T, effective for 10 years, a woman will have a monthly period. The hormonal IUD, effective for 5 years, secretes small amounts of progesterone, which often makes a woman’s cycle lighter and less painful, and sometimes disappear completely. > The vaginal ring and patch use estrogen and progesterone to prevent pregnancy. A woman inserts the ring into the vagina herself, and 1 ring lasts 3 weeks. A light period occurs during the 4th week, when the ring is removed. The patch is changed weekly for 3 weeks, and a period occurs the 4th week. Side effects are similar to those of the pill.  > The progesterone injection has been used for years. One injection lasts 3 months. > The hormone-secreting implantable rod is a newer product that is the size of a matchstick. The rod is implanted under the skin in the arm, and it is effective for 3 years. Women should consider all these options, in addition to birth-control pills, to make a choice for contraception that best fits their lifestyle. fam Dr. Antoinette Marengo-Barbick is an obstetrician-gynecologist with UC Irvine Healthcare. Information: ucihealth.com or 714.456.2911

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