No matter how big or small, the size of your family is important. Many couples who are planning the perfect family size have one big decision to make—how many kids do you want to have?
But what happens after you’ve reached that perfect number of kids? Are you taking the appropriate steps to ensure your family stays that “perfect” size you decided on? Bayer HealthCare took a survey of 1000 women between the ages of 25 to 45 and it found that 66% of women who are using temporary birth control are using the same birth control that they were using when they decided to stop having kids. It gets a bit scary when the numbers showed that 35% of those women had pregnancy scares!
So what’s the solution? About 70% of women are interested in permanent birth control and seek a method that is not daily or hormonal.
“Family planning and birth control is all about the individual and what is best for them,” says Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, of the straightforward Ask Dr. Suzanne Twitter. “Everyone is going to be different, so we as doctors need to provide all the solutions we can in order for our patients to be comfortable with their decisions. That is why I think permanent birth control options are becoming more popular for women.” Gilberg-Lenz said.
Bayer and HealthyWomen have teamed up to launch Family Size Matters, an initiative to help educate women and their partners who are done, or think they’re done having kids. Gilberg-Lenz partners with the initiative, and believes that it’s all about preserving what you have and being comfortable with the choices you make.
“The issue isn’t about the amount of kids you want to have, it’s about being able to manage what you have and get to where you want to be.”
The important thing to remember is that family planning is a choice and the decisions made involve both parties in the relationship. Everyone’s comfort level is different, and whether you want just one kid or 8 kids, women need to feel confident and educated in the options and choices that are available to them.
You can find more information on family planning at www.familysizematters.com
Written by Samantha Bridges
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