Deb Erickson-Owens Speaks at the birth control options lecture at Independence Hall auditorium.

Nurse-midwife tells students about birth control options

By: Bridgette Blight

Posted: 3/13/08

03/13/08 - Approximately 49 percent of pregnancies in the United States are unintended according to the Guttmacher Institute. Nurse-midwife and University of Rhode Island nursing doctoral candidate Deb Erickson-Owens explained various methods to reduce the chance of pregnancy last night in Independence Hall during the women's studies' annual Fredrika Schweers Memorial Lecture on Women and Health.

The audience of approximately 50 people included only four men. Erickson-Owens said she was not surprised by the gender split of the audience.

Erickson-Owens described the many reasons behind unintended pregnancies. Except for abstinence, no birth control method is 100 percent effective and effectiveness of methods is reduced with inconsistent or incorrect use, she said. Also, some women are under the impression that they cannot get pregnant. Erickson-Owens sees this at Providence's Women and Infants Hospital, where she works with teenagers.

"Teens are influenced by their friends and what's on the market," she said. "I have to watch TV to know what they're talking about."

Erickson-Owens shared statistics that compared the effectiveness of birth control methods, focusing on the effectiveness with typical use, which she referred to as "real life use."

She compared the many birth control options to a maze. The variety of options can be overwhelming to not only the sexually active who must decide, but clinicians who advise patients on birth control.

"At the end of the maze is the best method for the woman and her partner," she said.

The most effective birth control available now is Implanon, a small rod filled with the female hormone progestin implanted in a woman's upper arm. Implanon lasts for three years and is 99.95 percent effective against pregnancy, according to the FDA. However, like all hormonal contraception, Implanon does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Oral contraception, commonly known as "the pill," is the most popular method among women of childbearing age, which Erickson-Owens estimated as 15 to 44 years of age. Birth control pills use female hormones to prevent pregnancy. Other hormonal birth control methods are the Ortho-Evra patch, which must be changed weekly, the Nuva Ring, which is worn for three weeks at a time and the Depo-Provera shot, which lasts for three months.

Erickson-Owens highly recommended that all women have emergency contraception, otherwise known as the morning after pill, in their medicine cabinets. Plan B is a stronger version of hormonal birth control pills. It is 75 percent effective against pregnancy if taken less than 72 hours after unprotected sex, and it can be taken up to 120 hours after unprotected sex, according to the FDA. In August 2006, the FDA approved over-the-counter sales of Plan B to anyone 18 or older.

Erickson-Owens provided the cost of each method that she discussed. Many are available at CVS pharmacy. She also shared that condoms, the second most popular birth control method for college-age people, are available at URI health services for 25 cents each.

Erickson-Owens recommended that people speak with a health counselor or physician when choosing birth control methods and call their physician if they are experiencing side effects of hormonal birth control.

Karen Stein, English professor and director of the Women's Studies Program, introduced Erickson-Owens and referenced a study headed by a researcher from the Centers for Disease Control. The study underscored the need for sex education, and found that more than one in four girls from the ages of 14 to 19 are infected with at least one sexually transmitted infection.