Hello my dear friends. In the 21st century which we live in now, many people engage in sexual intercourse without procreation in mind. You see married couples who plan to have a certain number of children and even plan the gap between each birth.

Those that marry in their early twenties sometimes put off procreation as a future project. Now, how do they still have intercourse without procreating? This is where family planning methods come in to play.

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Some Family Planning Methods

There are different methods which can be employed to prevent procreation. Some of them are as follows.

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1) Condoms

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Condoms are rubber based translucent hollow sheaths, which when used during sxual intercourse, prevents semen from getting into the vaginal canal. Thus, fertilization is avoided and consequently, there is no pregnancy. There are two types of condoms existing: the male condom and the female condom.

But condoms are not 100% successful at preventing pregnancies. Several factors can affect it's success rate. For example, if the condom worn by the male partner is bigger than the penis and doesn't fit, upon ejaculation, semen can leak into the vagina canal.

So in order to maximize it's success rate, use condoms of the correct size and ensure that they are not expired or have any problems.

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2) Intrauterine Devices (IUDs)

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IUD’s are plastic devices that when planted in the uterus of a woman, prevents pregnancy by increasing the mucus at the cervix to block sperm from entering the womb. Two types exist: the hormonal and the non-hormonal IUD.

These devices are very efficient in preventing pregnancies and can work for 3 right till even 7 years. It's longevity depends greatly on the type. The best part is that as soon as you have it removed, you can get pregnant easily with no problems.

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3) Birth Control Pills

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Birth control pills are special pills that use hormones to avoid pregnancy by preventing the sperm from entering the uterus through an increase in cervical mucus or by preventing egg release.

This is a very efficient way of preventing pregnancies. But there is just one problem. The pills must be taken every single day at the exact same time. If you miss your daily dose, you can alter the effects and it is possible to get pregnant when you miss to take your birth control pills.

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4) The Birth Control Implant

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The birth control implant is a small rod device which when planted in the upper arm of a woman, releases hormones that prevent pregnancy by stopping the ovaries from releasing eggs and thickening the cervical mucus to prevent seems from getting into the uterus.

It is very efficient and you don't have to stress yourself about remembering. Also, it is very durable and can last for more than three years.

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There are several other family planning methods such as spermicide, birth control patch, birth control injection, vaginal ring, emergency contraceptive pills, cervical cap, diaphragm etc.

But what is important is that all these methods can help prevent pregnancies when used correctly. A kind tip is to make sure that you discuss with a medical practitioner before choosing a method to work for you.

This is so that you are properly informed on how to use them, what you should do and what you can't do, side effects and how to handle them, and also any allergies or problems you may encounter based on your medical history.

Thank you for reading.
Written by
@rosita-nkefor