We're going to rank all these forms of birth control in three categories:
Waste,
Effectiveness,
and... Right for Me?
And we'll tell you how to weigh each category as we go.
Hello!
It's me, Umbra.
Your favorite environmental advice columnist.
In spirit of the season, we've chosen some sexy questions to answer today.
When I say, "sexy," I mean they're literally about sex!
Ooooh!
Let's see what we've got!
[whimsical music. A xylophone!]
"What's the most environmentally friendly form of birth control?"
NOW we're talking!
But this is a surprisingly tricky question.
There's a lot to take into account when you're measuring the environmental impact
of various kinds of birth control.
Let's talk about waste first:
There's the trash you see, the trash you're reducing, and the trash you never see.
Most forms of birth control create at least a little bit of trash.
But hormonal forms -- such as IUDs or the Ring -- create less waste than, say, condoms.
These methods also lower menstrual bleeding -- and the tampons, pads, or cups needed for
it -- by about 50 percent on average.
At the same time, when we take hormonal birth control and pee
(we all pee, it's fine) trace hormones flush into our waterways and
can screw with aquatic ecosystems.
But there are so many chemicals in our wastewater that can do that.
Even natural hormones!
So birth control is certainly not the sole culprit -- or even a significant contributor.
But just to be safe, we'll acknowledge a little impact there.
You can see that condoms are some of the most wasteful, but they're also the only form
that reliably protects against STIs.
That's something to keep in mind!
And in reality, all this birth control-related waste probably makes up just a little bit
of your footprint.
The most significant way to reduce your impact on the environment is to prevent a pregnancy
you don't want.
Raising a child is a huge decision in every regard -- emotionally, financially, environmentally.
You want to be as prepared as you can be to do it.
So effectiveness is more important than waste when you're choosing an environmentally
friendly birth control!
Here are the rankings of contraception methods according to effectiveness, with normal use
(over a 5-year time period) So say you want to use the fertility awareness
method because you don't need to take anything or throw anything away.
But statistically, it's not very effective at preventing pregnancy.
Unfortunately, this ranking doesn't acknowledge the fact that not everyone is able to choose
from all these options.
"Historically, the reproductive rights movement was kind of trying to do a one-size fits all
solution, when not every community has access and not every community faces the same institutional
barriers."
Say you'd like to get an IUD because it's one of the most effective forms of contraception.
But maybe you don't have access to a clinic to deal with any problems that may arise,
like pain or displacement.
And maybe you're not sure you'll have insurance when you have to get the IUD removed.
To that end, a really effective birth control is one that works best for you.
Maybe you don't like hormones.
Maybe you want a method you can stop and start yourself.
Maybe you want someone who remembers you don't like pineapple!
(Sorry.
We're talking about birth control.)
Currently, about 45 percent of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended.
That's not because women are irresponsible.
That's because there are a lot of barriers involving money and access that keep women
from robust reproductive healthcare in the United States.
The best way to approach the question of environmentally friendly contraception is to trust people
to decide for themselves how many children they want, and to give them the tools to make
those decisions.
Thanks for joining me for this extra-sexy chat!
Happy [informative family plan]-ing!
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