When Clementine (not real name) a mother-of-three, and her husband had their last child, they thought of using family planning as a way of preventing unplanned pregnancy. Going by what her peers had told her, Clementine had doubts and hence hesitated to use contraception. 

"My friends who were already using family planning kept telling me not to use it because it would change my body severely. I was afraid of using any of them but then I came across a talk show on radio about women’s health, where they were explaining all about contraceptives, how they were used and I was challenged to use them,” she says.

There are a lot of misconceptions and myths around contraceptives. Like Clementine, most women are very hesitant when it comes to the use of family planning because of what they hear which isn’t always true.

Family planning is however a proven and safe way of preventing unwanted pregnancies. There are several birth control methods that are highly effective as long as one seeks medical assistance on how and what method to use.

John Muganda Rwibasira, an Obstetrician & Gynaecologist explains that there are various methods of contraceptives such as pills, implants, and injectable, Intra-Uterine Device (IUD), and condoms.

"Hormonal contraceptives like pills, implants and injectable have the same mode of action. They maintain a hormonal concentration level, which avoids or stops ovulation to happen. And for IUDs, they change the environment in the uterine cavity, which stops also fertilisation, and condoms act like barriers,” he explains.

Rwibasira agrees that there could be some side effects from these modes of contraceptives but they can be treated.

"For some contraceptive methods, there are side effects, hormonal contraceptives in particular- those with progesterone like injectable and implants. The IUD sometimes can cause spotting (slight vaginal bleeding), amenorrhoea (absence of menstrual periods) but all these effects are reversible and treatable,” he says.

According to Medical News Today, most people can find a safe birth control option. Sometimes a person has to try several methods or a combination of methods to find something that is convenient and causes the fewest side effects.

And while all medications, including birth control, carry some risks, there is information spread around birth control which is untrue.

Busting myths 

Natural methods do not work 

Lifestyle-based methods of birth control might be more difficult for a person to implement correctly, which is why some people believe they do not work at all. But fertility awareness is one form of natural birth control that can be effective if a person does it correctly. It involves a person diligently monitoring their body temperature, observing daily changes in their cervical mucus, and knowing exactly when their period is due.

Birth control can prevent STIs 

Barrier methods, such as condoms, can reduce the risk of transmitting many sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, these methods cannot prevent all STIs. Any birth control method that does not create a barrier between people’s bodies cannot prevent STIs.

Hormonal types cause abortions 

Some anti-abortion groups have expanded their focus to include contraceptives, especially hormonal birth control. However, birth control cannot cause abortions. This is because all forms of hormonal birth control work by preventing ovulation, and ovulation prevents implantation. Implantation is the beginning of pregnancy.

Doctors recommend that anyone considering using a new type of birth control can ask a doctor or other trusted health professional about proper use.