Dear Dan and Tired of Pills,
I am a Certified Natural Health Practitioner and I am writing to let you and hopefully your readers know that there are other options aside from hormonal contraception versus condoms. The Pill is over prescribed and has unwanted short term and long term side effects for many women. Some long term consequences can be devastating, such as infertility or cancer, although we are often told by Big Pharma that the Pill prevents cancer. Most doctors do not know about safe, healthy, effective alternatives.
It infuriates me when male partners seem to put their comfort ahead of their female partner's health and well being. For a taste of fury, read my blog post Hormonal Contraception: Is The Pill Safe? http://www.anarreshealth.ca/node/382
Here are some options aside from hormonal contraception and condoms, each of which are healthier for women and that can involve a woman's male partners:
1. The Standard Days Method and CycleBeads: is a new method of Natural Family Planning developed by the Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University. SDM is 95% effective when used correctly. Best of all, it's free! Cycle Beads, a tool that can be used with the method, cost $10-$30 - a one time expense! http://www.natural-family-planning.info/standard-days-method.htm
2. The FemCap is a new designed medical grade silicone cervical cap that is made in the US and obtained by prescription in the US and over the counter and by mail order from Canada. (I provide it to US customers so they don't have to pay a doctor for unnecessary "fittings", prescription and follow up visits.) It's up to 98% effective when used every time with a contraceptive gel. Fem Caps come in 3 sizes based on your childbearing history and cost less than $100.
3.Contragel Green is a contraceptive gel used with cervical caps, diaphragms and condoms that is made from food grade ingredients and that is the same PH as vaginal fluids, so it is non irritating. It does not double the risk of HIV infection and other STIs as conventional spermicides do, yet it provides the same contraceptive protection. It's been in use in Europe for 30 years and is Health Canada approved and available over-the-counter and by mail order. It costs $20-$30 per 60ml tube, roughly half as much as conventional spermicides do.
I provide these alternatives as NaturalContraception.ca, but my purpose in writing you is the reason I started to import and sell these in the first place. They can put a man on the moon, but they can't seem to make safe, affordable, effective contraception widely available. So I do.
Thanks so much for the force of Goodness and Sanity that you are, Dan!
Best, Tracey
Tracey TieF
Certified Natural Health Practitioner
416.535.9620 or AnarresHealth@gmail.com
www.NaturalContraception.ca