The
      Panther
      Prints
      @
     
    
   
   
    
     
      February
      18,
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Birth
      Control:
      A
      Users
      Manual
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      When
      making
      the
      decision
      to
      become
      sexually
      active
      there
      are
      many
      factors
      that
     
     
      have
      to
      be
      considered.
      One
      of
      these
      factors
      is
      how
      you
      planon
      preventing
      pregnancy
      —
     
     
      and
      sexually
      transmitted
      disease.
      There
      are
      many
      methods
      of
      protectionavailable.
      Th
     
     
      decision
      made
      onthisis
      based
      on
      the
      methods
      effectiveness,
      convenience
      and
      cost.
     
     
      is
      auser
      friendly
      guide
      to
      some
      of
      the
      methodscommonly
      used.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cc
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Pill
     
    

    
     
      The
      birth
      control
      pillisa
     
     
      combination
      oflow
      dose
      hor-
     
     
      mones
      whichprevents
      ovula-
     
     
      tion
      in
      the
      female.
      In
      order
      for
     
     
      the
      pill
      to
      be
      effective
      it
      has
      to
     
     
      be
      taken
      at
      the
      same
      time
     
     
      every
      day
      .
      If
      it
      is
      missed,
      a
     
     
      backup
      form
      of
      contracep-
     
     
      tion
      must
      be
      used.
      The
      Pill
     
     
      offers
      no
      protection
      from
     
     
      STD’
      sanditis
      recommended
     
     
      that
      acondomis
      used
      with
      it
     
     
      toincrease
      effectiveness.
      The
     
     
      Pill
      hasa
      failure
      rate
      ofabout
     
     
      2-3%
      and
      is
      not
      recom-
     
     
      mended
      for
      smokers.
      It
      costs
     
     
      about
      $100
      a
      year.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Sponge
     
    

    
     
      The
      Sponge
      works
      by
     
     
      trapping
      and
      absorbing
      sperm
     
     
      before
      it
      gets
      the
      chance
      to
     
     
      enter.
      You
      don’t
      have
      to
      be
     
     
      specially
      fitted
      forthe
      sponge.
     
     
      It
      is
      over
      the
      counter
      and
      it
     
     
      recommended
      only
      for
     
     
      women
      who
      are
      comfortable
     
     
      enough
      with
      their
      bodiesto
      be
     
     
      sure
      of
      proper
      insertion.
      It
     
     
      can
      be
      worn
      for
      up
      to
      30
     
     
      hoursand
      is
      only
      good
      for
      one
     
     
      use.
      The
      sponge
      carries
      the
     
     
      threat
      of
      rare
      Toxic
      Shock
     
     
      Syndrome
      and
      can
      inhabit
     
     
      spontaneous
      sex.
      Thecostis
     
     
      about
      $3
      each
      and
      the
      failure
     
     
      rate
      of
      the
      sponge
      is
      be-
     
     
      tween10-14%.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Diaphragm
     
    

    
     
      The
      diaphragm
      is
      made
     
     
      of
      rubber
      and
      fits
      over
      the
     
     
      opening
      to
      the
      cervix
      to
      block
     
     
      the
      sperms
      entry.
      It
      is
      often
     
     
      used
      with
      spermicide
      and
     
     
      when
      used
      properly
      offers
     
     
      protection
      against
      both
      preg-
     
     
      nancy
      and
      STD’s.
      As
      withthe
     
     
      sponge
      itis
      only
      suitable
      for
     
     
      women
      who
      are
      comfortable
     
     
      touching
      their
      bodies.
      The
      dia-
     
     
      phragm
      needs
      to
      be
      fitted
      by
     
     
      a
      doctor
      and
      must
      be
      left
      in
     
     
      place
      for
      six
      hours
      after
      inter-
     
     
      course.
      The
      cost
      is
      about
      $25
     
     
      eachand
      youshouldentneed
     
     
      more
      then
      one
      new
      one
      ina
     
     
      year.
      The
      failure
      rate
      of
      this
     
     
      methodis
      betweenS5
      and
      10%
     
    
   
   
    
     
      IUD
     
     
      (Intrauterine
      Device)
     
     
      Thereason
      why
      the
      [UD
     
     
      works
      is
      still
      unclear
      but
      itis
     
     
      believed
      that
      the
      device
      causes
     
     
      a
      hostile
      environment
      for
     
     
      sperm
      to
      prevent
      pregnancy.
     
     
      Whatisknownisthatthe
      [UD
     
     
      ishighly
      effective
      witha
      failure
     
     
      rate
      of
      only
      1-5%,
      and
      there
     
     
      are
      few
      negative
      side
      effects.
     
     
      The
      only
      warning
      is
      its
      ten-
     
     
      dency
      to
      slip
      out
      of
      place
     
     
      occasionly
      so
      itis
      important
     
     
      that
      it
      be
      checked
      regularly.
     
     
      The
      IUD
      must
      be
      inserted
      by
     
     
      a
      doctor
      and
      the
      cost
      of
      the
     
     
      device
      is
      about
      $50.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Morning
      After
      Pill
     
     
      Many
      people
      hesitate
      to
     
     
      call
      this
      method
      birthcontrol,
     
     
      as
      it
      is
      designed
      to
      be
      used
     
     
      only
      in
      emergencies.
      The
     
     
      morning
      after
      pill
      usually
      con-
     
     
      sists
      of
      four
      pills,
      the
      firsttwo
     
     
      of
      which
      mustt
      betaken
      within
     
     
      72
      hours
      of
      intercourse
      and
     
     
      the
      other
      two
      to
      be
      taken
      12
     
     
      hours
      later.
      The
      earlier
      the
      pill
     
     
      are
      taken
      the
      more
      effective
     
     
      they
      are.
      The
      morning
      after
     
     
      pillmustbe
      prescribed
      froma
     
     
      doctor
      and
      must
      be
      taken
     
     
      immediately
      foreffectiveness.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Abstinence
     
    

    
     
      This
      is
      the
      only
      fool
     
     
      proof
      method
      to
      preventing
     
     
      pregnecy
      and
      STD’s
      and
     
     
      more
      and
      more
      people
      who
     
     
      do
      not
      feel
      ready
      for
      actual
     
     
      intercourse
      are
      finding
      some
     
     
      great
      substitutes
      which
      are
     
     
      safe
      for
      themselves
      and
      their
     
     
      partners.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Condom
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      condom
      is
      by
      far
     
     
      themostcommonly
      used
      con-
     
     
      traceptive,
      especially
      by
     
     
      young
      people.
      It
      is
      easily
     
     
      accessed
      in
      most
      stores
      and
     
     
      offers
      protection
      from
      both
     
     
      pregnancy
      andSTD’s.
      Acon-
     
     
      domisathin
      sheath
      ofrubber
     
     
      which
      is
      fitted
      over
      an
      erect
     
     
      penis.
      Most
      come
      with
      sper-
     
     
      micide
      whichoffers
      additional
     
     
      protection.
      Theproblem
      with
     
     
      condoms
      is
      they
      have
      to
      be
     
     
      worn
      properly
      and
      every
      time
     
     
      whichmany
      people
      feel
      ruins
     
     
      the
      “mood”.
      Condoms
      are
     
     
      cheap,
      about
      $8
      for
      a
      box
      of
     
     
      12.
      The
      failure
      rate
      of
      Con-
     
     
      doms
      used
      alone
      is
      about
      8%.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1.
      Squeeze
      air
      out
     
     
      of
      the
      tip
      of
      the
     
     
      condom,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2.
      Hold
      the
      tip
     
     
      while
      unrolling
     
     
      the
      condom
     
     
      all
      the
      way
      down
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      3.
      Hold
      onto
      the
      rim
     
     
      of
      the
      condom
     
     
      while
      pulling
      out
     
     
      after
      sex.