An unplanned pregnancy is an unwanted pregnancy that occurs when both partners do not expect it. These different cases of pregnancy have negative effects on both partners. Starting from the psychological effects, stress, depression, distress, melancholy, they can also have real effects on the economy of the family or partners. Also, they can have adverse effects on the health of the mother and/or the foetus. Here are 4 recommendations to avoid unplanned pregnancies.
L’abstinence
According to the French Larousse, abstinence is the action of depriving oneself of certain pleasures. In the context of pregnancy, it therefore refers to the deprivation of sexual intercourse. Abstinence proves to be the most effective way to avoid unwanted pregnancies but remains the most difficult to respect, especially in the long term. It is difficult to maintain due to the intense and regular sexual activity of some partners. Thus, if you are in a relationship with a sexually active partner, it will be very difficult for you to abstain from all sexual relations until further notice. On the other hand, if this method is effective against unwanted pregnancies, it is not enough on its own to prevent sexually transmitted infections. Indeed, abstinence is not synonymous with avoiding intimacy. Partners can have intimate relationships while observing abstinence. They can discover their bodies, share caresses, kisses, play erotic games. However, I do not recommend fellatio and cunnilingus, to avoid infections and sexually transmitted diseases. However, if abstinence is a preventive measure that is too difficult for you or your partner to observe, you can opt for contraceptive measures.
La contraception
For sexually active partners, the alternative to abstinence is to use birth control methods. The most common are birth control pills, morning after pills, IUDs, intrauterine implants and sterilization. Beyond that, I recommend that you have a backup contraceptive method, your plan B. This measure includes birth control pills and morning after pills. They must not be abused, which is why they must be your plan B, your backup measure. To these measures are also added hormonal methods, traditional collars.
Understand your menstrual cycle
Although this is complex for women, it is very important to understand your menstrual cycle. Knowing how to calculate and understand your menstrual cycle is a way to determine the periods of ovulation and fertilization. These so-called risky periods are the periods when unprotected sexual intercourse is likely to lead to pregnancy. Even in case of protection, the slightest contact of the man’s sperm with the woman’s sex is a risk. It will therefore be necessary during these periods to abstain from all sexual intercourse to better prevent unplanned pregnancies. In addition, there are several mobile applications to follow the course of your menstrual cycle and determine the most fertile days. However, it is important to remember that this method cannot be used as a method of contraception on its own.
Communicate with his or her partner
Communication with his or her partner Communication is the key to the success of any human relationship. Thus, communicating with your partner makes it possible to understand each other’s vision, to know their needs and to know if they meet or not. In addition, the discussions can make it possible to plan the pregnancies, to define the effective means of contraception which meet the aspirations of each partner.
In short, there are a plethora of effective methods to avoid unwanted pregnancies. These have very negative effects on the various partners. It is therefore important to opt for contraceptive measures, the use of condoms to avoid high-risk pregnancies and STIs. Also understanding your menstrual cycle and communicating with your partner could be very helpful in avoiding unplanned pregnancies.