Faced with the growing success of so-called “natural” contraceptive methods, particularly among young women, the National Federation of Colleges of Medical Gynecology (FNCGM) alerts young women to the very relative effectiveness of these contraceptive methods, which are not the more often than “decoys”.
Efficient or not? After the scandal of the 3rd generation pill, fears about the possibility of having children when stopping the pill, many women preferred to favor so-called “natural” methods of contraception such as periodic abstinence during the cycle. ovulation, male withdrawal, observation temperature curve and cervical mucus. However, these methods have failure rates of 17 to 20% according to the National Federation of Colleges of Medical Gynecology (FNCGM).
Encouraged by social networks, some young women with a “still episodic” sex life and fervent followers of male condoms (which also protect against STIs, it is true) consider that the daily intake of a pill becomes more restrictive and exposes to more risks than it is useful.
However, according to INED, it is in this age group that we observe the highest rate of iterative voluntary terminations of pregnancy (2 in 10% of them and 3 in 4%!). However, abortion is far from being a contraception.
Natural contraception is a “lure”
The National Federation of Colleges of Medical Gynecology (FNCGM) alerts in a statement, on the more than relative reliability of these methods, at the origin, according to her, of numerous abortions. With all due respect to the followers of natural contraceptive techniques, “It is not always easy to spot the ovulation period. Women are not a robot and do not always function like a metronome”. The ovulation period can indeed vary depending on fatigue, stress or following an emotional shock and its duration change from month to month. All these variations are at the origin of the many setbacks of these methods and the resulting abortions.
Natural Cycles, the controversial application that was meant to be revolutionary
The Swedish application Natural Cycles is presented as an alternative method to the contraceptive pill, “as reliable”, and benefiting from a CE mark. Based on the temperature taken and the day of the cycle, an algorithm does the calculation and gives a green code for intercourse that may be unprotected, and red, for intercourse that must be protected or abstinence.
The Natural Cycles site claims a contraceptive effectiveness of 93% (ie a Pearl index of 7), while that of the pill is 91%. Many women were naturally seduced. This assertion is however based only on a retrospective study, that is to say not controlled, published in The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care, which is not really a gold standard. Reading reveals a study carried out by the owners of the application themselves, absolutely not comparative to the pill and which should never have led to a CE mark.
A Swedish hospital which took care of the 37 abortions linked to this method, issued a report to the Swedish health agency responsible for the regulation of this type of products, in order to see if other unwanted pregnancies would not be. not attributable to this very fallible method. The medical products agency AMP, which in Sweden is the equivalent of our National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), has launched an investigation to find out the extent of the application’s failures. .
The IUD, the most widely used contraceptive method in the world
The National Federation of Colleges of Medical Gynecology (FNCGM) recalls that the pill is not the only effective contraceptive method, even if some pills can be particularly interesting in the event of painful periods (20%) or marked premenstrual syndromes (40%). ), permanently or for a certain period. Gynecologists are available to guide young women towards other methods adapted to their expectations and their constraints. There are institutional information sites on the different methods and their advantages and disadvantages.
Every woman is different and that choice is hers. Dother contraceptive methods such as the IUD, the vaginal ring, the contraceptive patch or even condoms are available. The IUD is also the most widely used method of contraception in world. Easy and quick to put on, almost painless, it is also very easy to remove and pregnancy becomes possible immediately. Long reserved for women in their forties in France, the IUD can be offered to young women as elsewhere in the world.
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