Unlike condoms, which need to be used every time with sex, or the pill, which must be taken every day, LARC doesn’t require any action after placement in the body and is immediately reversible.
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Male contraceptives have been under development for at least the past 50 years, because of the success of the female pill and pessimism about men taking a pill.
There are more than 30 different types of contraceptive pills. But brand names such as Microgynon, Levlen, Yaz and Brenda give little indication of the ingredients, dose or who should use them.
Women on the pill are able to manipulate or suppress their menstrual cycles to have fewer “periods”, or to avoid bleeding at important or inconvenient times.
We usually focus on the physical health effects of the pill, yet the most common reason women stop or change the pill is mental health side effects.
There is no biological evidence for “giving your body a break” and in fact, it could do your health more harm than good.
Before the pill, contraceptive options were extremely limited and generally required the cooperation of the male partner. Almost 60 years later, the pill remains the mainstay of contraception.
Top contributors
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Deputy Director of Clinical Studies, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University
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Senior lecturer in reproductive Biology, University of Sheffield
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Lecturer in Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Deakin University
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Professor of Practice, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney
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Professor of Psychiatry, Monash University
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Associate Professor and Clinical Neuropsychologist, Monash University
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Adjunct Professor, La Trobe University
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Associate Professor in Physiology, School of Health, University of the Sunshine Coast