Savage Love
Queer goggles
Why your pal chases manly ‘ladies’ when he’s bombed
Published: February 27, 2013
Dr. Malhotra also supports — acutely supports — your preference for a long-term method.
“Although oral contraceptives are popular,” says Dr. Malhotra, “they have up to a 9 percent ‘typical-use’ failure rate.” Pills can fail a woman who forgets to take them — which is all too common — but a woman can’t forget to take her IUD or implant. Which is why progesterone-releasing IUDs have failure rates of 0.2 percent, copper IUDs have failure rates of 0.8 percent, and implants have failure rates of 0.05 percent. “TIMELY can choose between a nonhormonal copper IUD, a progesterone-releasing IUD, and a progesterone-releasing implant,” says Dr. Malhotra. “Timing wise, she has options of a three-year implant, five-year IUD, and 10-year IUD. There are advantages to each, which she can discuss with her physician. And, despite myths to the contrary, there are very few risks with an IUD, and she can remove it and get pregnant at any time if she wishes.”
None of these options, however, will protect you from sexually transmitted infections, TIMELY, so use condoms regardless. For more info about birth control, sexual health and STIs, see optionsforsexualhealth.org.
FindDan Savage’s weekly podcast every Tuesday at thestranger.com/savage. Reach him at mail@savagelove.net or @fakedansavage on Twitter.
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