Birth control pills may have revolutionized a woman's jurisdiction over her own uterus, but as any woman who's ever popped those tiny tablets will tell you, there's flaws in the execution. For a prescription that needs to be taken once a day, every day, there's a fair amount of finesse involved. It seems a simple enough task, but if you ask a room full of women if they've ever forgotten to pop a pill during an early morning rush out the door, or their daily dosage slipped their mind when their head hit the pillow after a few too many cocktails, you'd get a crowd full of raised hands.
Now, there's more information than ever that suggests oral contraception isn't the way to go when it comes to preventing pregnancy. A new study in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that for young women who use IUD's, the rate of teenage pregnancy and the number of abortions significantly drops versus those who use alternative prevention methods. This discovery came to light through a St. Louis, MO-based program that evaluated the resulting pregnancies, births, and abortions of 1,404 participants who were given complimentary IUD's. The timing is in sync with the thoughts of medical experts. This revelation comes just a week after the American Academy of Pediatrics revamped their guidelines to encourage doctors to recommend their patients use IUD's as their foremost method of contraception.
In a perfect world, it seems that IUD's should be the answer to the plight of both pro-life and pro-choice advocates. For those who are against abortions, an increased use of IUD's means that there will be less unplanned pregnancies, and thus, fewer terminations. The catch? Oftentimes those who are anti-abortion are also against long-term forms of birth control, just like IUD's (think of Hobby Lobby.) And the cycle of ignorance towards women's health begins again. Groan.
Related:
Primary Protection: The History of the Pill
California Is Giving You FREE Birth Control Because It's the Law
Photo via Getty Images
-
Former Vanity Fair Editor Says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Will “Live to Regret” Not Keeping in Touch with the Royal Family“That will come back to haunt them at a certain point.”
-
Friends Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber Were Both at the Monaco Grand Prix—But Never Seen With Each Other
It has fans wondering if everything’s okay between the two.
-
Princess Kate’s Tiara Moment at the Royal Wedding of the Year Marked a Historic Milestone for Her
She also wore some new-to-her earrings with special significance.
-
Senator Klobuchar: "Early Detection Saves Lives. It Saved Mine"
Senator and breast cancer survivor Amy Klobuchar is encouraging women not to put off preventative care any longer.
-
How Being a Plus-Size Nude Model Made Me Finally Love My Body
I'm plus size, but after I decided to pose nude for photos, I suddenly felt more body positive.
-
I'm an Egg Donor. Why Was It So Difficult for Me to Tell People That?
Much like abortion, surrogacy, and IVF, becoming an egg donor was a reproductive choice that felt unfit for society’s standards of womanhood.
-
The 20 Best Probiotics to Keep Your Gut in Check
Gut health = wealth.
-
Simone Biles Is Out of the Team Final at the Tokyo Olympics
She withdrew from the event due to a medical issue, according to USA Gymnastics.
-
The Truth About Thigh Gaps
We're going to need you to stop right there.
-
3 Women On What It’s Like Living With An “Invisible” Condition
Despite having no outward signs, they can be brutal on the body and the mind. Here’s how each woman deals with having illnesses others often don’t understand.
-
The High Price of Living With Chronic Pain
Three women open up about how their conditions impact their bodies—and their wallets.
