The results of a survey conducted in March 2013 are in! It asked over 1,000 unmarried women (age 18-29) about their use of contraception. All of the respondents have had sex, do not have children, and are not trying to get pregnant (a sample that matches only 33% of American women this age).
Here’s what they found out:
Almost 75% have had unprotected sex and more than half (58%) admit to not using contraception all the time!
Top 7 reasons why the women surveyed had unprotected sex:
- 44% I trusted my partner to pull out
- 39% Sex feels better without protection
- 32% I just wasn’t thinking
- 30% I didn’t plan on having sex so I wasn’t prepared
- 20% My partner did not want to use protection
- 20% I was drunk or high
- 15% I thought it was a safe time of the month
Top 4 most important considerations when choosing a method of contraception:
- 77% It’s effective
- 49% It’s affordable
- 47% Easy to use
- 33% I think it’s a healthy option for me
Top 6 reasons that make women feel uneasy about taking birth control pills:
- 33% I’m afraid it will mess with my fertility in the long run
- 26% The medical warnings in the commercials scare me
- 25% Having to take a pill every day doesn’t work for me
- 17% It’s unnatural
- 14% I’ve had a bad experience with the pill
- 13% It’s unhealthy
While the vast majority of the women surveyed used condoms and/or the birth control pill, the authors touted the merits of LARCs (long-acting reversible contraceptives) like the IUD or Implant… which is a fabulous option for some women.
But what about the Sympto-Thermal Fertility Awareness Method???
Now that we know what the top 4 things young women want in contraception, a viable option that could be presented to them would be the Fertility Awareness Method. Why?
1. It’s effective!
- Effectiveness rates for the Sympto-Thermal Fertility Awareness Method vary from 88-98%, but that’s still higher than the male condom (82%) and similar to synthetic hormones like the birth control pill, patch, or ring (91%).
2. It’s affordable!
- Once a woman (or couple) has invested in a class with a certified Fertility Awareness Educator (FAE), bought a thermometer, photocopied charts or downloaded software or an app, bought a book like Taking Charge of Your Fertility or Garden of Fertility, and had the necessary follow-up consultations with the FAE, she’s set for life! She can use this method for a variety of different reasons for the next years (or decades!) of her life.
3. It’s easy to use!
- If she can be taught to read a book, she can be taught to read her body! It’s a skill… just like learning to dance or learning to drive is a skill that most of us do safely without thinking twice about it… life-long skills often become second-nature. However, it’s not the best method for each women (or couple… a mutually-motivated partner is key!), but the option should at least be presented by health care providers and sexual health educators.
4. It’s a healthy option!
- As I said in a May 2013 blog, the Fertility Awareness Method has no side-effects! (…like the myriad of those associated with synthetic hormones, chemicals, or devices…) And there’s no risks of BLOOD CLOTS that can lead to strokes, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, or death.
Are you sold? Register and come to one of my Natural Birth Control classes to learn the Sympto-Thermal Fertility Awareness Method at Blossom Wellness Center in August or September 2013!
Contraception Calling: Why Aren’t More Young Women Listening? - “The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy teamed up with Cosmopolitan magazine—often considered the bible for sexually active, single, young women—to examine these very issues. The results presented here are from a nationally representative survey conducted by TRU, a worldwide leader in research on teens and twenty-somethings.”
