Healthy Swellness: World Contraception Day

September 26, 2016

 

 

I’m posting this from Saint Lucia, a tropical paradise where sunsets like this gorgeous one surely inspire much romance…

…and with much romance, well, that may lead to pregnancies. Wait, what? Yes, we are talking unplanned pregnancies today. People get caught up in the moment. On average women forget to take 2.6 pills per cycle. There are a whole host of reasons an estimated 49 percent of pregnancies are unplanned. You might be wondering why I’m talking about this today, and it’s because it’s World Contraception Day. Yes, I know it seems like there’s a day for just about everything these days, but this one is more important than say, Cheesecake Day. WCD was first celebrated in 2007 and was created as a global movement to help women make informed choices when it comes to contraception so that we can live in a world where every pregnancy is wanted.

For this shoutout to WCD, let’s think back to some milestones when it comes to contraception. I’ll highlight just a few. For example, in 1914, term Birth Control is coined by women’s rights activists and Planned Parenthood founder, Margaret Sanger. This is followed in 1920 with the first latex condoms manufactured. In 1960, the Pill is available in Canada but not for contraception, just for therapeutics.

And here’s a biggie: in 1969, contraception is decriminalized in Canada. Yes, not that long ago contraception was considered criminal.

Jump to 1994 and the Health Agency of Canada developed the first “Guidelines for Sexual Health Education.” Then in 1999,​ Health Canada approves the “the morning after pill.” Two years later, a new hormonal birth control called an “Intrauterine System” is made available in Canada, and in 2013 an IUS with a lower hormone dose is introduced in Canada.

As I’ve been chatting about in my #3yeargoals posts, when thinking about your near future, with the plans and aspirations you have in mind for the next few years, if having a baby isn’t what you’re planning for, consider whether the birth control method you’re using is the right one for you with your on-the-go lifestyle. We are all busy women and while what you’re probably using daily (most of us take the Pill or use condoms) is working well enough, there could be longer acting, non-daily innovations that may suit your lifestyle and goals even better. It’s a very personal decision, of course, and one you should speak to your healthcare provider about. In the meanwhile, you can learn about different contraceptive methods to discuss with your doctor by visiting www.birthcontrolforme.ca. Your dreams and goals are worth planning and working towards, as is having a baby when you are ready and prepared for it.

And in the meanwhile, here’s to a healthy World Contraception Day!

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Filed under: Healthy Swellness