In its long history, contraception has come a long way, from
dangerous and bizarre methods like drinking mercury to the
comparably simple once-a-day birth control pill.
Speakers at the “For Women Only” forum discussed the
wide gamut of contraceptive options ““ conventional as well as
new methods ““ Thursday evening.
“Our goal is to inform women about options, and empower
women to make these decisions about their reproductive and
gynecological health,” said Jennifer Berman, a co-director of
the UCLA Female Sexual Medicine Center and a speaker at the
forum.
“As (women) … we like to be in control of everything,
not only our periods but our families, our lives and our
careers,” Berman said. “Being able to understand and
control our lives is a benefit.”
The speakers, Berman and Camelia Davtyan, an expert in
women’s health at the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health
Center, introduced new contraceptive products.
A new birth control pill called Seasonale, the first
extended-cycle birth control pill approved by the Food and Drug
Administration, would allow women to go on 84-day cycles instead of
the typical 21-day cycle current birth control pills generate.
“The benefits of Seasonale would be not only … very
effective contraception … but (it) also helps to reduce symptoms
of premenstrual syndrome,” said Berman, who is also a
urologist at the UCLA Medical Center.
Conventional birth control pills users experience 13 periods
each year if they follow the regimen, but with Seasonale, users
would only have three to four periods each year.
Birth control pills prevent pregnancy by stopping ovulation and,
as an added benefit, allow women to go through their lives
period-free.
Berman stressed that missing periods is harmless and that the
use of oral contraceptives actually has some health benefits,
including the prevention of osteoporosis and rheumatoid
arthritis.
A wide variety of other birth control methods are also available
in lieu of oral contraceptives, allowing a woman to find a method
tailored to her needs.
“I think that it’s important to know all of the
options available … women should be able to choose what suits
them,” said Berman. “The same thing isn’t good
for everyone.”
Other forms of contraception include an adhesive patch that
releases the female sex hormones estrogen and progestin through the
skin which prevents ovulation, as well as tubal ligation, or
sterilization for women.
Members of the mostly female audience came to the forum for a
variety of reasons.
Some came already knowledgeable of the subject.
“Contraception is something I work with on a day-to-day
basis,” said Phyllis Stilson, a nurse practitioner for the
Motion Picture & Television Fund.
Others came out of curiosity.
“We wanted to hear the new scientific improvements and the
new scientific data,” said Ebba Brakenhielm, an employee at
the UCLA Medical Center.
And though some arrived already armed with knowledge of the wide
array of contraceptives, the speakers were able to answer lingering
questions and resolve misconceptions.
For example, because birth control pills prevent ovulation, it
is a common misconception that women will become more fertile when
they stop taking the pill at a later time.
“I’ve always been kind of curious about going on the
pill,” said Reema Singh, a 2001 alumna. “I’ve
always wondered if you’d be more fertile, and the answer is
no, because you have so many eggs to begin with.”
But having information about contraception is not an excuse to
act irresponsibly, Berman said.
“Understanding choices … does not mean we’re
encouraging certain behavior,” she said.
Berman and her sister, Laura Berman, a sex therapist, also host
a talk show on the Discovery Health channel and co-wrote the
best-selling book, “For Women Only.”