Yahoo Movies Roe is overturned, but birth control is still available. How to pick the type best for you
The recent Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade does not mean that Americans have lost the right to common birth control options such as “the pill.”
But the fear that access to birth control could become limited — spurred by comments made by Justice Clarence Thomas in his concurring opinion in this latest abortion case — has many looking to find options that will last for a relatively extended period of time.
Here’s what to know about birth control access in the wake of the Supreme Court’s abortion ruling and how to make an informed decision about your own reproductive health care:
Is birth control banned? Will birth control be banned?
The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization does not ban birth control.
But in a concurring opinion in the case — when a justice says they agree with the majority’s decision but not all or some of the rationale behind it — Thomas said the high court should “reconsider” Griswold v. Connecticut, the 1965 Supreme Court that’s the basis for access to contraception.
“In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell. Because any substantive due process decision is ‘demonstrably erroneous,’ we have a duty to ‘correct the error’ established in those precedents,” Thomas wrote.
Those comments have stoked fear among some that limits on access to common forms of birth control, such as “the pill” and intrauterine devices, could come down the pike.
Common types of birth control
There are multiple types of birth control on the market, including:
Oral contraceptives: Often referred to as “the pill,” oral contraceptives typically “contain the hormones estrogen and progestin,” per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to help prevent pregnancy and regulate the menstrual cycle. You take a pill at the same time each day. The pills are usually prescribed by a doctor, and you typically get a 30-, 60- or 90-day supply. The “typical use failure rate,” the CDC says, is 7%.
Skin patch: Skin patches release progestin and estrogen into the blood. They’re prescribed by a doctor and are typically worn on the abdomen, butt or upper body or three weeks out of the month. The “typical use failure rate,” per the CDC, is 7%.
Hormonal vaginal contraceptive ring: This method is a ring that’s placed in the vagina for three weeks out of the month to release progestin and estrogen. The “typical use failure rate,” per the CDC, is 7%.
Hormone injection: Hormone injections are shots of progestin. The shots are given by a doctor in the buttocks or arms, usually every three months. The “typical use failure rate,” the CDC says, is 4%.
Arm implant: An arm implant is a form of hormonal birth control that’s inserted by a doctor under the skin of your upper arm. The implant, a thin rod, releases progestin into the body for three years. The “typical use failure rate,” the CDC says, is 0.1%.
Intrauterine device: Commonly referred to as “IUDs,” intrauterine devices are small T-shaped devices that are placed by a doctor in the uterus. Cooper devices can stay in for “for up to 10 years,” whereas levonorgestrel devices, which release progestin, last three to six years. The “typical use failure rate,” per the CDC, is 0.1- 0.8%.
How to decide what birth control is right for you
Many have expressed interest in pivoting to a form of birth control that last years instead of methods that are more short-term out of concern that birth control access could become limited.
But, medical experts say, there are various factors to consider when figuring out what type of birth control is best for you.
The Mayo Clinic recommends considering a number of things, including:
Your age and health history
The effectiveness of the methods you’re considering
Whether or not the method of contraception is reversible, and whether you want it to be
What’s comfortable for your body and compatible with your personal beliefs
What your health insurance does or doesn’t cover
The potential benefits of different methods beyond pregnancy prevention, such as protection against sexually transmitted diseases and lighter periods
The potential side effects of different methods
Birth control for men
For men, condoms or a vasectomy have traditionally been the only options for birth control.
However, researchers say, more options could be on the horizon.
Scientists presented research this spring to the American Chemical Society on a new non-hormonal birth control pill designed for men to take. The pill is still being developed, but those behind it say it’s prevented pregnancy in mice “without obvious side effects.”
