fertility and birth control

The only male contraceptives available are a vasectomy and a condom, which prevent sperm from reaching the egg, preventing pregnancy. The condom is the most used method, because, besides being practical, it is completely reversible. Vasectomy, as it is a more definitive method, is used by men who no longer intend to have more children

The Intra-Uterine Device, popularly known as the IUD, is a contraceptive method made of flexible molded T-shaped plastic that is introduced into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. It can only be placed and removed by the gynecologist, and although it can begin to use at any point in the menstrual cycle, it should preferably be placed in the first 12 days of the cycle

Hypothyroidism makes it difficult to get pregnant because it causes irregular menstrual cycles and decreases the chances of ovulation during a woman's fertile period, so that there is no egg to be fertilized. This is because thyroid hormones regulate the production of the reproductive hormones, which are responsible for the menstrual cycle and the fertility of the woman

Female contraceptives are drugs or medical devices used to prevent pregnancy and can be used in a pill, vaginal ring, transdermal patch, implant, injectable or intrauterine system. There are also barrier methods, such as condoms, which should be used not only to prevent pregnancy, but also to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases

Ovulation corresponds to the moment the ovum is released by the ovary and becomes mature, allowing fertilization by the spermatozoon and thus initiating pregnancy. Learn all about ovulation. Knowing how to stimulate ovulation is important for anyone who wants to get pregnant and can not because of irregular ovulation or lack of it and polycystic ovary syndrome, for example

Pregnancy medicines, such as Clomid and Gonadotropin, may be indicated by a gynecologist or urologist who specializes in fertility when the man or woman has some difficulty becoming pregnant due to changes in sperm or ovulation after 1 year of attempts. These medicines aim to correct the difficulty making conception possible

Artificial insemination is a method that involves the placement of spermatozoa inside the woman's genital tract and is widely used in the treatment of some cases of male or female infertility caused by impotence, vaginismus, endometriosis, reduced sperm volume, changes in spermatozoa, malformations of the penis, among others

Lack of menstruation does not always mean a pregnancy. It can also happen due to hormonal changes like stop taking the pill or excessive stress or even due to situations like intense physical activity or anorexia. In addition, lack of menstruation for more than 3 consecutive months also occurs in premenopausal women, in the first cycles after menarche, and does not recur after surgery for removal of the uterus and ovaries, and is not a worrying situation in most cases

Retrograde menstruation is a theory that explains the onset of endometriosis that occurs when the menstrual blood, instead of exiting the uterus through the vagina, travels towards the fallopian tubes and pelvic cavity, spreading out of the vagina and out of the menstrual cycle. Menstrual blood contains cells from the endometrium and when they reach other organs such as the ovary, bowel or bladder adhere to its walls, they grow and bleed during menstruation, causing many pains

Common menstrual changes may be related to the frequency, duration, or amount of bleeding that occurs during menstruation. Usually, menstruation decreases once a month, having an average duration of 4 to 7 days and arises in adolescence, ending at the onset of menopause. However, some changes may occur, and some of the most common ones include: 1

Although rare, it is possible to get pregnant when you are menstruating and have an unprotected relationship, especially when you have an irregular menstrual cycle or when the cycle is less than 28 days. In a regular cycle of 28 or 30 days these chances are almost nil because after the end of the menstrual period there are still about 7 days until ovulation and the sperm survive a maximum of 5 days inside the woman's body, not having contact with the released ovum

Changes in the thyroid, such as hypothyroidism, can lead to increased menstruation, whereas in hyperthyroidism, a reduction in bleeding is more common, which may become absent. These menstrual changes can happen because thyroid hormones directly influence the ovaries, causing menstrual irregularities

Menstruation after the baby's birth can take about 2 months to 1 year to come, depending on whether the woman breastfeeds or not. For women who exclusively breastfeed, menstruation may come only when the baby stops breastfeeding, or greatly decreases the frequency of breastfeeding, by about 1 year of age

Irregular menstruation is characterized by menstrual cycles that do not follow a similar rhythm every month, making it difficult to detect the fertile period and the best period to get pregnant. In general, menstruation varies from 21 to 35 days to go down, and is considered regular when it happens every 28 days

Sometimes menstruation can come down with lumps, which are blood clots, but this situation is usually normal because it arises due to an imbalance in the woman's hormones. When this hormonal imbalance occurs, the lining of the walls of the uterus may thicken, causing more extensive bleeding and clot formation, which may range from 5 mm to 3-4 cm

After delivery, it is recommended that you start a contraceptive method, such as a progesterone pill, a condom, or an IUD, to prevent unwanted pregnancy and allow the body to fully recover from the previous pregnancy, especially in the first 6 months. Breastfeeding itself is a natural contraceptive method, but only when the baby is exclusively breastfeeding and several times a day, since the sucking of the baby and milk production increase the amount progesterone, which is a hormone that prevents ovulation

Some diseases that cause infertility in both men and women are immune problems, diabetes and obesity. In addition to these, specific diseases of men and women can also be the cause for the difficulty of getting pregnant. After 1 year of unsuccessful attempts to conceive, the couple should seek the doctor to do tests that evaluate the presence of infertility, and follow the appropriate treatment according to the cause of the problem

Cervical mucus is a liquid secretion produced by the cervix that prevents bacteria from the woman's intimate region from getting into the uterus and keeping it healthy. This secretion can be expelled through the vagina, appearing in the undergarment as a transparent, white or slightly yellowish discharge, without odor, being a natural reaction of the body

Surgery to remove myoma is indicated when the woman has symptoms such as severe abdominal pain and heavy menstruation, which do not improve with the use of medications, but in addition, one should evaluate the interest of the woman to become pregnant because the surgery can make pregnancy difficult future

The contraceptive patch works like the traditional pill, but in this case the estrogen and progestogen hormones are absorbed through the skin, protecting up to 99% against pregnancy, as long as it is used correctly. To use correctly, simply glue the adhesive to the skin on the 1st day of the period and change after 7 days, pasting another in another location