Call the Shots: Benefits of Using Injectables
- Mariana Purificacion
- Apr 11, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 12, 2020
Contributed by Flow Quesada
You call the shots! And by “shots,” we don’t mean scoring hoops in basketball or down-a-shot at the bar; we mean shooting your shot with injectable contraceptives.
Injectable contraceptives are shots that contain progestin, similar to the hormone progesterone that a female body produces naturally. They’re more than 99% effective in preventing pregnancy if taken correctly, which means that out of 100 women who use injectables, less than 1 will get pregnant in a year. If the next scheduled shot has lapsed and taken beyond the deadline, the effectivity of the injectable to protect goes down to 96%.
Since injectables contain progestin, they primarily prevent your ovaries from producing eggs every month. Aside from that, injectables also make your cervical mucus thicker and stickier, which makes it challenging for sperm to swim through. In case a really tough sperm succeeds in swimming through, the injectables make the lining of your uterus thinner and incapable of catching a fertilized egg.
Did you know that a single shot can do a lot? Get to know the different benefits that these little pricks can give you.
You May Abandon the Injection
The effectivity of injectables lasts for three months and should be taken again when it’s due, if you still want to be protected from getting pregnant. If you have decided that you want to get pregnant, all you have to do is to not have the next shot of the injectables to let your fertility go back to normal.
After the due date for the next shot lapses, it’s possible for you to get pregnant even before your period arrives. In some cases, it may take a few months to 1 year for your fertility and menstruation cycle to completely return to normal, so injectables may not be advisable if you want to get pregnant in the near future.
It’s Easy Peasy
Once you’ve got the shot, no more scheduled pills or interruption to wear protection. The injectable may be a good option for you if you think you’ll have trouble with remembering to pop a pill every day on schedule.
Injectables aren’t just convenient, they’re also very private since all they take is a quick prick to flow into your body. They leave no evidence for people to see, and they don’t require you to do anything before sex, making injectables great for those who want to keep it private.
You can take a shot of the injectable at any point during your menstrual cycle, but having it within the first five days of your menstrual cycle can protect you immediately. If you take it any day within your cycle, you’ll need to use additional contraceptives, such as condoms, to protect you during the first seven days.
Always keep in mind when your shot will lapse so that you will not miss the next one (that is if you want to keep yourself from getting pregnant).
Here For A Long Time While You Have a Good Time
Take a shot, and you’re covered for three months. With the injectables, there’s not much that you have to do, except for paying the doctor a quick visit.mIf, for example, you plan to stay on the injectables for a year, that’ll only cost you four trips to the doctor, and the procedure will not even take an entire hour of your day.
Before getting yourself a shot of the injectables, it’s best to consult your doctor first to ensure that the injectable is suitable for you. The doctor will also have to consider your medical history, and to check if you’re pregnant.
Although the injectables are fantastic at keeping you away from pregnancy, they can’t protect you from STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections). For that, you’ll need condoms to prevent you and your partner from contracting any infection or disease. It’s also best to have you and your partner tested for any STI before you have sex. Better safe than sorry!
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