Unplanned Pregnancies 20 times More Likely with the Birth Control Pill than IUD
A new study shows that women who use birth control pills, the patch or vaginal ring are 20 times more likely to have an unintended pregnancy than those who use an intrauterine device (IUD) or implant.
The statistics are especially concerning for women under 21, for whom the risk of unplanned pregnancy when using birth control pills, the patch or ring was almost twice as high as the risk for older women.
This study is the best evidence we have that long-acting reversible methods are far superior to the birth control pill, patch and ring,” study author Dr. Jeffrey Peipert, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said according to the press release. “IUDs and implants are more effective because women can forget about them after clinicians put the devices in place.”
According to the study authors, 3 million pregnancies a year – or about half of all pregnancies – in the U.S. are unplanned.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 99 percent of women having s*x had used at least one method of birth control between 2006 and 2008. The most popular form was the birth control pill, which was used by 10.7 million women in the U.S. While birth control pills may be a preferred choice for many women, it is often hard for women to remember to take the pill today and have readily available access to refills.
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