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Pill stoppers

Written by Deirdre O'Shaughnessy

Thursday, 14 January 2010

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Since the sexual revolution in the 1960s and 1970s, women have been encouraged to take control of their own fertility cycles and sexual health. With contraception legalised in Ireland as late as 1979 – by prescription only – we have been slower than other nations to adapt to the reality of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancies.

STIs are on the rise here, and the issue of unwanted pregnancy remains sensitive, with thousands of women still travelling to the UK each year for abortions. NGOs like the Irish Family Planning Association are to the forefront of offering advice on sexual health, particularly following the abolition of the Crisis Pregnancy Agency as a stand-alone body in 2007.

While many women planning to become sexually active consider the Pill as the obvious choice of contraceptive, the Pill does not protect against STIs and, increasingly, is being replaced by alternatives.

Health factors that may put women off the Pill include high cholesterol and high blood pressure, as well as painful periods, while lifestyle factors as varied as smoking and shift work mean that the routine of popping a Pill at the same time each day does not suit every woman.

*Mary, a 25-year-old scientist from North Cork, says she gave up the Pill "in order to be assured of not getting pregnant. "I am in a long-term relationship and was tired of having to remember taking it daily. I was also tired of worrying about being pregnant if I had a stomach upset or a split condom." She has had the contraceptive implant for a number of months now. " I feel overall that it has been a good move as I do not need to replace the implant for another three years," she says.

Meanwhile, *Ellen, a student from Cork City, "gave up on the pill years ago". She uses Evra, a transdermal patch.

"Hardly anyone seems to know about this form of contraceptive but it's much handier, you have three patches per month, changing just once per week and having a free week when your period is due," she explains.

"You don't need to take it orally or every day, which is great for scatter brains like me, or even for travelling or staying overnight somewhere, it allows you to be more spontaneous in your planning. They don't fall off in the shower or bath and are easy to conceal, I usually put it on my butt cheek, that way even if I was wearing a bikini you wouldn't see it. I also only go on contraception when I am in a relationship, and give my body a break from the hormones in between."

*Joanne, a teacher living in the city, stopped using the Pill after five years when her periods became debilitating. "I always had bad periods, losing a day of work every time, and realized that I could fix that by changing my contraceptive. After visiting a gynaecologist I had the Mirena coil inserted. It is brilliant – I don't need to remember to take anything, being sick doesn't affect it, and best of all, my period is down to two days of minor spotting."

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