Living in California, every student at Sequoia has access to many forms of birth control. Many people are unaware of the tools and information available to students for providing birth control options, which are often free. Learning more about access to birth control benefits people who menstruate, people with some medical conditions, and people who are sexually active.
The importance of birth control for avoiding pregnancy
Most people who are assigned female at birth ovulate once a month or once during the monthly cycle of their hormones called the hormonal cycle. Ovulation is the process of a mature egg being released from an ovary and traveling down a fallopian tube, where it can be fertilized if sperm is present. Pregnancy can occur in the five days leading up to ovulation, especially during the 48 hours of ovulation in which the egg waits in the fallopian tube.
The hormonal cycles for people who can become pregnant vary from cycle to cycle so ovulation can be difficult to track and predict. This is especially true for people currently going through puberty or who have recently gone through puberty. For these reasons, sexually active students who are looking to avoid pregnancy are advised by medical professionals to use either hormonal or non-hormonal birth control when having sex at any point in their cycle.
Hormonal birth control
Hormonal birth control is designed for people who ovulate, as it prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation from occurring. Hormonal birth control uses the synthetic hormones estrogen and progestin (a synthetic form of progesterone). These hormones are present throughout the hormonal cycle and control an individual’s fertility and many other bodily processes. When synthetic hormones enter the body through birth control, they can change or balance aspects of the hormonal cycle.
The synthetic hormones in hormonal birth control can lessen the symptoms of menstruation, like cramps, hormonal acne or other premenstrual symptoms. It can also lessen the effects of conditions like endometriosis, which is when endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus. With these other benefits, many people who are not sexually active and looking to avoid pregnancy also use hormonal birth control.
The importance of birth control for avoiding sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
Many forms of birth control are designed to prevent the transmission of STIs for people who are sexually active, such as herpes, syphilis, chlamydia and human papillomavirus (HPV). While it depends on the specific infection, STIs can be spread through skin-to-skin contact or when one partner’s bodily fluids come in contact with their partner’s body. Common forms of birth control that prevent the spread of STIs act as a barrier between skin or genitals to avoid direct contact.
STIs are very common and can range in severity, with most being curable, but others like HPV are only treatable but incurable. Along with using birth control to prevent STIs, sexually active people, especially those with multiple partners, are advised to get check-ups regularly at doctors’ offices or clinics to ensure they are STI-free or can receive treatment.
Non-hormonal birth control
Methods of birth control like male or female condoms are non-hormonal and prevent both pregnancy and STIs by acting as a protective barrier to prevent the exchange of bodily fluids. However, other forms of non-hormonal birth control only prevent pregnancy.
The pros and cons of emergency contraceptives
Emergency contraceptives like Plan B will prevent pregnancy from occurring after unprotected sex if taken up to five days after. They are often in pill form and can be purchased at pharmacies or clinics. To prevent pregnancy, they stop ovulation from occurring for only one cycle using hormones, preventing any sperm cells still in the body from fertilizing the mature egg that would be released during ovulation.
They can be effective at preventing pregnancy and a good option for women in the middle of their cycle (closer to or at the end of menstruation). However, if not taken before ovulation, they could be ineffective as ovulation could have already occurred. This risk makes emergency contraceptive pills not always effective, but taking emergency contraceptives still prevents unwanted pregnancies in many cases. According to Yale Health, they reduce the risk of pregnancy by approximately 75%.
Following the use of emergency contraception, the person should ensure their period comes at its normal time or within a week late. If unsure, a pregnancy test, which can be accessed at pharmacies and clinics, can pick up on a potential pregnancy a week after their period is late.
How students can access birth control
Many forms of birth control require prescriptions or a doctor’s visit, which can be intimidating for teens. Alternatively, students can visit Sequoia’s Health Office, located next to the Teen Resource Center. The Health Office isn’t legally obligated to share confidential information with parents, so students’ privacy is protected.
The Sequoia Teen Wellness Center, located on James Avenue next to Sequoia’s campus, is an official clinic for students’ medical needs, including sexual health. The Teen Wellness Center, along with other clinics like Planned Parenthood, can provide birth control or other sexual health-related information to students.
Birth control can be expensive to pay for out-of-pocket, so teenagers are advised to use their parents’ insurance if they have it. If a minor wants to use their parents’ insurance to pay for clinic services, but does not want to disclose what services or clinic, they can make the insurance billing confidential using the site My Health My Info. Students without insurance or who aren’t covered by their parents can still access sexual health care using the California-funded service, Family Pact. If a student doesn’t make above a certain income each year, they are eligible to register and Family Pact will cover the cost of most services.