Birth Control: Myths
There are lots of myths about birth control. Here are some:
Myth: Side effects are a part of using birth control. You just have to put up with them.
It’s true that side effects are a possibility with birth control. However, not all side effects happen for all people, and you definitely don’t have to just put up with them. There are many different types of birth control out there (hormonal and non-hormonal), and hopefully you’ll be able to find a method that gives you minimal to no side-effects. The only way to know for sure which is the best fit would be to try a few different ones until one clicks.
Myth: You need to be 18 or older to get birth control, otherwise you need a parent’s permission.
How and when people can access birth control will depend on a number of factors, but in Ontario there’s no minimum age that a person needs to be in order to get birth control. Hormonal methods require a prescription from a clinician, which you can legally get without needing a parent’s permission. Most non-hormonal methods are available at your local pharmacy, and they don’t need to ask you your age for you to buy them. For more on this, check out the article:
Myth: Going on birth control makes you gain weight.
The only birth control that has a direct connection to gaining weight is the shot/injection. This is a common myth when it comes to hormonal birth control, but studies have shown that the number of people who say they gain weight on hormonal birth control is about equal to the number of people who say they lose weight. There are lots of different factors that go into weight loss or gain, including medications, changes in diet, changes in exercise patterns, and lifestyle.
Myth: You have to take the pill at the exact same time or it’ll stop working. Even 1 minute late is too late.
The birth control pill works best when taken at the same time every day. That said, a progestin-only pill isn’t considered “late” until it’s more than 3 hours off schedule, and a combo pill (with estrogen and progestin) isn’t considered “late” until it’s more than 24 hours off schedule. For more info on this, check out the article:
Perfect Use vs Typical Use
Most methods of birth control are given percentages of risk called perfect use and typical use. Let’s use condoms as an example of what this means:
- Perfect use for condoms is 97%. This means that the condoms aren’t expired, they’re stored in somewhere that is not too hot or too cold, no nicks or tears happen when the package is opened, they’re sufficiently lubricated with water-based lube, and people withdraw and throw out the condom shortly after ejaculating.
- Typical use for condoms drops down to 86%. This is where the situation for the condom use is pretty much the opposite above.
These numbers don’t mean that every condom people use is only 97% effective. If you use a condom and you don’t get pregnant, that means that condom was 100% effective. These numbers mean that if 100 people used condoms as their main method of birth control for an entire year, maybe 3 of them would have to deal with a pregnancy. The 3% risk could come from a rare manufacturing defect in the condom, with most other increases in risk being due to human activity.
When it comes to penetrative vaginal sex, outside of abstinence there is no way to completely remove potential risks, whether thats for pregnancy, STIs, etc. More often than not, reducing risk is more about managing what you can control before, during, and after sex. To learn more about managing risk, check out the resources:
The article about What’s Next for Me has information about emergency contraceptive methods for if you were exposed to a pregnancy risk during sex (didn’t pull out in time, condom broke, etc.).
