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Nurse practitioner Debbie Wright sits next to a colposcopy machine. The machine allows doctors to look directly at the cervix of a woman who has had abnormal pap test results.
New birth control options for students
Student Health Services now offers intrauterine devices, Implanon
By: Tara Bannow
Posted: 2/25/08
The same contraceptive won't work for every woman. Birth control pills must be taken at the same time every day. The NuvaRing should be stored in a refrigerator before use. And both need to be replaced every month.
For this reason, UW-Eau Claire Student Health Services has added three new types of birth control to its lineup.
"I think choice is important," said Student Health Services nurse practitioner Debbie Wright. "There's a lot of things available out there to help prevent pregnancy. What works for one person doesn't always work for another, people have different preferences."
Among the new options are two types of intrauterine devices, ParaGard and Merena, and an epidermal implant, Implanon. Student Health Services has also expanded its services to include colposcopy examinations.
Freshman Jodi Kwarciany said students get contraceptives from Student Health Services because of its availability, convenience, privacy and inexpensiveness.
"I think it just creates an openness that a lot of students didn't have in high school living at home," she said. "It allows them to make more adult decisions about themselves."
IUDs are small, thin, implantable contraceptives placed inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy, Wright said.
Katharine Burnetp, vice president of patient services at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, added IUDs have a 99 percent effectiveness rate.
ParaGard, a copper IUD, is effective for 10 to 12 years, Burnetp said.
The benefit of the copper in ParaGard, Wright said, is that users will experience very regular periods. The drawback, she added, is women may experience heavy periods and more cramping.
Merena, a progesterone hormone IUD, is effective for up to five years. Both are ideal for students traveling abroad who don't have access to regular exams and monthly prescription refills, Wright said.
Although Merena users will have the benefit of less cramping and light bleeding, they often experience irregular bleeding, which many people don't like, Wright said.
Before IUDs are implanted into the uterus, patients are encouraged to get tested for STDs, Wright said.
Implanon is a small, rod-shaped contraceptive placed underneath the skin in the arm that is effective for three years, Wright said.
"It's really a cool product," Burnetp said. "It looks like a fat, wooden matchstick."
Implanon is 99 percent effective, Burnetp added.
Although Implanon has been available in Europe for a while, it made its first appearance in the U.S. about a year ago, Wright said.
"We have more rigorous FDA approvals than they do in Europe," Burnetp said. "This delays some of the products we'd love to have out."
A colposcopy is an examination of the cervix, Wright said. If a patient has an abnormal Pap test, a colposcope is used to take biopsies to determine if the woman needs further treatment for precancerous cells. A biopsy, she said, consists of taking a pinch of skin and observing it under a microscope.
Student Health Services has been providing birth control pills for over ten years, Wright said. More recently, it added the NuvaRing, a contraceptive ring placed inside the vagina and replaced monthly, she said, adding the NuvaRing should be refrigerated before use. In addition, Student Health Services offers depropravera, an injectable contraceptive administered every three months.
Condoms, lubricant and Plan B, an emergency contraceptive, are also available.
"Condoms are an excellent method of preventing pregnancy," Wright said. "If used consistently, they're very good. The problem is how many people use them consistently or perfectly."
Students seeking further information on the products available, including prices, are encouraged to contact Student Health Services.
Freshman Julia Engelhardt said although she thinks people shouldn't be sexually active at this age, it's good to have these choices on campus.
"It's better to be able to get these resources here," she said. "If they were off campus, people would be less likely to go purchase them."
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