I realize that the last post for this topic was made quite some time ago... but seeing as how my family is more of a real life scenario of how this stuff actually works, I thought I'd throw my two cents in here.
Mistress DragonFlame
Well, think of it this way. From what I hear, condoms cover about ... 97% of the chances of getting pregnat. The pill about... 98.5%, so it's 1.5% of a chance out of 3% that you'll get pregnant while using both. .... .005% I think?
Wow, if it was up to 97%, then I'd think more people would rely on condoms alone! What I'm seeing here in a booklet I got from my doctor quite some time ago, it lists that in typical use, 15 out of every 100 women using condoms become pregnant during their first year of use. So, 15%. It's saying the same thing on Planned Parenthood's website. Sure, typical use can be anywhere between 15% and 2%, but come on... let's be reasonable here. Is there really such a thing as "perfect use?" I doubt not, as that's only a laboratory-defined figure.
Even with the pill, you still have an 8% chance of getting pregnant with your first year of use. I'm sorry, but to me, that's far too great of a risk to become pregnant. Same with the rates for condoms, diaphragms, withdrawal, spermacide, etc. etc. etc.
Asmi-chan
Assuming they're not against it in the first place, is there any reason a person couldn't use a combination of birth control means when having sex? Like a condom and using birth control pills at the same time?
And, that's why people do use more than one form at once. Even with condoms and the pill though, there's still a huge risk for becoming pregnant... let's look at people I know that have used that method to a strict extent, and still became pregnant: two of my cousins (totaling 3 babies born that way), my mother (four kids + 2 miscarriages = 6 pregnancies using this method), and my aunt (her two daughters, a son, and 2 miscarriages, = 5). In total in my family alone, that's 3 + 6 + 5, or 14 pregnancies just from using what looks at first glance to be a good method of birth control. What I've been told by my gynocologist, is basically even if you combine both methods, the rate/chance you'll become pregnant is only as good as the lowest percentage rate on the best birth control. So still, with that 15% rate with condoms and 8% rate with pills for typical use, that would still mean that's an 8% chance you'll get pregnant using the two in the first year.
These days, Nuvaring looks to be becoming the most popular birth control, along with Ortho Evra. Both only have 1/3 of one percent chance of becoming pregnant the first year. Compared to the pill / condom & other barrier methods, this is pretty damned good. With birth control this effective, the couple doesn't have to worry about using barrier methods, such as condoms, if the relationship is monogamous. Depo-Provera (the shot) can be a good choice as well, but with the side effects it isn't being prescribed as much any more (it causes massive weight gain, and can take several years for menstrual cycles, i.e. fertility, to return). And then there's the IUD, a great option for women who have already given birth, with only 4/5ths of a percent chance of becoming pregnant in one year of use on it.
Like with any other medication though, you have to look at the percentages as if they are meant to represent perfectly-healthy people. LOTS of factors can change how effective birth control is, especially hormonal methods. The hormones become less effective, for example, the higher the woman's weight is. Many medications also affect the effectiveness of the hormones in the pills / rings / shots / patches, the percentages of which I've been told is probably at least 60-75% or more of all prescription drugs on the market today. Even taking copious amounts of painkillers can decrease the effectiveness of birth control, or antidepressants, antiseizure medication, etc.
And now I will bring in my own personal stance on the abortion issue. For those of you that might know me from the Gaia Sickling Guild, I have very major and serious health problems. With the amount of medications I need right now, and the state of my health, it would be incredibly unwise for me to become pregnant right now. If I did, well - many of my prescriptions are in category X, which means they are known to cause harm to an developing fetus. My immune system is not as such that I could maintain a pregnancy, yet alone probably live from it in my present state. Because of this, I would do what would be best for both me and the fetus and I would choose to abort (if the child would even live anyways from my medications). I have struggled with the idea of getting tubal ligation for quite some time, but I do not know if there will ever come a time where my health with get better and I will be able to have children in the future. Thus, I am keeping myself safe for the time being by using birth control, and keeping my options open by not getting surgery done on myself.
I have met one or two people that don't agree with my decision, but as it stands right now I've seen this as the best option to keep myself as potentially healthy as possible. This is one of the main reasons I am pro-choice, because I'm very sure there are thousands of other women out there in my shoes right now.
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