Contraception

Contraception Brisbane

At Top Health Doctors, our doctors aim to provide accurate, evidence-based information on the safety, efficacy, advantages and disadvantages of all contraceptive methods to women seeking advice.

We offer insertion and removal of hormonal Intrauterine Device (IUD), Implant (Implanon), contraceptive injection and advice / prescription including different formulations of contraceptive pills, vaginal rings, barrier methods, emergency contraception and natural methods.

We also have doctors that are trained in doing vasectomy for our male patients as a permanent form of contraception.

Condoms provide the best available protection against sexually transmissible infections (STIs).

Click link below to get a summary and overview of the efficacy of different contraceptive methods.

Efficacy of different contraceptive methods (Family Planning Alliance Australia)

Hormonal Intrauterine Device (Mirena and Kyleena)

For many women, a common and effective method of birth control is an Intrauterine Device (IUD). The IUD is a small contraceptive device (about the size of an ear bud) that is put into the womb to prevent pregnancy.

At Top Health Doctors, we have doctors that are trained to perform BOTH types of hormonal IUD, Mirena and Kyleena.

What is Mirena or Kyleena?

Both Mirena and Kyleena are long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) progesterone – releasing IUD that releases a steady flow of low dose hormone levonorgestrel into womb. This hormone acts as a contraceptive that is over 98% effective. Both are effective for 5 years.

How do Mirena or Kyleena work?

There are several ways that Mirena or Kyleena can help prevent pregnancy.

They thicken cervical mucus which prevent sperm passing through the cervical canal into your womb. They act to prevent sperm reaching or fertilising your eggs. This prevents the sperms and egg from coming into contact and prevents fertilisation.

They also reduce the monthly growth of the lining of the uterus. This action can reduce excessive menstrual bleeding, which is especially the case for Mirena.

Both Mirena and Kyleena are some of the most effective and reliable methods of contraception available (risk of pregnancy 2% or less, over 3 years).

What are the advantages of a hormonal IUD over taking the contraceptive pill or contraceptive injection?

Hormonal IUD is a long-term contraceptive. It lasts for up to five years, whereas many contraceptive injections tend to last only around three months. Compared to the contraceptive pill, it is significantly lower maintenance. That is having to remember taking 1826 daily pills over 5 years vs 1 hormonal IUD.

What if you want to become pregnant?

If you decide that you’d like to have a child, we can remove your IUD at any time. This should only take a brief moment in our clinics. Once it’s removed, you should be able to try to become pregnant shortly after. Most women who want to become pregnant are successful within twelve months of having their IUD removed.

>  Learn More about Mirena versus Kyleena

>  Learn More about Kyleena

>  Learn More about Mirena

Contraceptive Implant (Implanon)

Implanon is a contraceptive implant (about the side of a match stick), preloaded in an applicator. It is inserted under the skin of your upper arm. The implant contains 68 mg of the active substance etonogestrel, a synthetic female hormone closely resembling natural progesterone.

A small amount of the hormone is continuously released into the bloodstream and it is effective for three years.

Implanon prevents pregnancy in two ways:

1. It prevents the release of an egg cell from the ovaries (ovulation)
2. It causes changes to cervical mucus that makes it difficult for sperm to enter the womb.

>  Learn More about Implanon

Contraceptive Injection

There are 2 commonly available hormonal injections in Australia, Depo-Provera and Depo – Ralovera.

The active ingredients of both Depo-Provera and Depo-Ralovera are chemicals similar to the natural hormone progesterone. Your ovaries produce progesterone during the second half of your monthly cycle.

Each injection protects you from pregnancy for 3 months.

They work by inhibiting the hormones that are needed for the release of eggs from your ovaries.

>  Learn More about Depo-Provera

>  Learn More about Depo-Ralovera

Contraceptive Pills

At Top Health Doctors, our doctors abide by the following guiding principles when considering which pill to prescribe to you. We aim to choose a formulation that:

• has the lowest dose of oestrogen and progestogen to provide good cycle control and effective contraception
• is well tolerated
• has the best safety profile
• is affordable
• offers additional non-contraceptive benefits if desired e.g., acne.

>  Learn More about Contraceptive Pills

NuvaRing

NuvaRing works just like a combined contraceptive pill (the Pill) but instead of taking a pill every day, the ring is inserted into your vagina for 3 weeks in a row. NuvaRing releases two female sex hormones that prevent the release of an egg cell from the ovaries.

If no egg is released you cannot become pregnant. An advantage of NuvaRing is that you do not have to remember to take a pill every day.

>  Learn More about Nuvaring

Barrier Methods of contraception

Barrier contraceptives physically block the sperm’s access to a woman’s womb. They include condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, and the use of spermicides.

>  Learn More about Barrier Contraception

Emergency Contraception

Emergency contraception is used after unprotected sex. You may decide to use emergency contraception if:

• you didn’t use any contraception
• you had sex without a condom or the condom broke
• you forgot to take your usual contraceptive pills
• you were sexually assaulted

>  Learn More about Emergency Contraception

Natural family planning

Natural family planning (or fertility awareness) is avoiding sex around the time of the month where you are fertile (most likely to get pregnant).

Depending on the method you use to track your fertile time and when to avoid sex, natural family planning is 76% to 99% effective at preventing pregnancy.

>  Learn More about Natural Family Planning

Vasectomy

At Top Health Doctors, we have qualified doctors that are trained to perform vasectomy for our male patients as a permeant form of male contraception.

A vasectomy is an operation that prevents sperm from travelling from the testicles to the penis by cutting the tubes that allow the sperm to be transported. Vasectomy is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy.

If you have a vasectomy, your sex drive, production of sex hormones and ability to reach organism will not be affected.

It takes around 3 months from the time of the procedure for a vasectomy to begin working. It is important to have a sperm test to check for this.

>  Learn More about Vasectomy