Pills vs Condoms – the Great Birth Control Guide for Pakistanis

Birth Control Guide... you might call this blog controversial, but we call it informative. Pakistan has a huge population growth, and most of the times it not planned. It’s still hard to digest that people perform intercourse and then act shocked when they fall pregnant. “We had unprotected sex, but how did we get pregnant?” Well the UNPROTECTED SEX. Don’t be an idiot. Or at least make the conscious decision to stop being one.  

Birth Control Guide

These are modern times, you don’t have to go to huge lengths for procuring difficult and dangerous birth control mechanisms. Tell me frankly, is there a reason for being shy? Doesn’t this happen every single day. You came into existence because your parents didn’t use protection (or did and it wasn’t effective). If you want that to happen to you, or if you don’t want it to happen to you… to be honest we don’t care either way. 

Better be Safe than Sorry

If you choose not to bring children into this world or to bring a whole cricket team, it’s up to you. We just hope you take the proper and safe route, that is the sole purpose of writing this. 

The Complete Unfiltered Disclosure

No birth control mechanism is 100% effective, despite what we say ahead. Furthermore, if there are any side effects, they may vary from person to person. And har bunda apni misaal aap hai.

Birth control

So here is what you need to know:

  1. Male Condoms
  2. Female Condoms
  3. Oral Contraceptive pill
  4. Emergency Pill
  5. Patch
  6. Injection/Shot
  7. Implants
  8. Intrauterine Device (IUD)
  9. The Permanent Method

Main Dish - Types of Birth Control

  • Male Condoms

Jitna marzi mazak ura lo, jab Tinku aur Pinku ki parent teacher conference hogi, tab rona aaye ga.

How to Use: No one is born with this knowledge, use the link to see how. No shame in that.

Disclosure: if you use oil based lubricants, the condom can break/weaken

  • Female Condoms

Shocked? Us, too! Frankly, we didn’t know this existed until today. But knowledge is power.

  • Oral Contraceptive Pill

Usually known as “the pill.” It has many types but general gist of it is:

A regular form of birth control

Prescribed by doctors only

Take the pill every day at the same time for all the days the woman is not on her period. Set that alarm! 

Failure rate: 7%

Cons (for women): contains hormones that affect your body, no protection from STIs, increases blood pressure, headaches, nausea, mood swings[NS2]  

Cons (for men): having to deal with all the above of their significant other. 

Pros: get the prescription once and continue taking them yourself

  • Emergency Pill

After you have had unprotected intercourse, you will need to take this pill due to sudden realization jaisay kay yaad aya kay chula on chorr deya. Take it as soon as possible for full effect but you can consume it within 5 days. 

This method is not suitable for everyday use. 

Failure rate: 11% 

Cons: side effects may include children (yes having them is a side effect), Nausea or vomiting, Dizziness, Fatigue, Headache, Breast tenderness, Bleeding between periods or heavier menstrual bleeding, Lower abdominal pain or cramps.

Pros: No waking up to the sounds of children crying at night and easy to procure from the pharmacy.

  • Patch

As the name suggests, it’s a patch that doctors prescribe only to women.

It pastes on a body part like a sticker, a new patch once a week for three weeks 

Only a doctor can prescribe this 

Failure rate: 7% 

Possible Cons: An increased risk of problems including blood-clotting, heart attack, stroke, liver cancer, gallbladder disease and high blood pressure. It may also cause breakthrough bleeding or spotting, skin irritation, breast tenderness or pain, menstrual pain, headaches, nausea or vomiting, abdominal pain. Furthermore, mood swings, weight gain, dizziness, acne, diarrhea, muscle spasms, vaginal infections and discharge, fatigue, fluid retention can also be a side effect of it.

Pros: No random tantrums at the wrong time  

  • Injection/Shot

Again, only prescribed by doctors to women

Gives contraception effectiveness up to 3 months 

Failure rate: 4% [NS3] 

Cons (for women of course): Irregular menstrual periods or no periods at all, Headaches, Nervousness, Depression, Acne, Changes in appetite, Weight gain, Excessive growth of facial and body hair, Hair loss, Osteoporosis 

Pro: Itnay ziada cons hain… but at least no kids.

Point to think about: Have you noticed how most of these are for women and only one for men?

  • Implants

A doctor places a thin rod under the skin of a woman’s arm

Lasts up to 3 years

Failure rate: 0.1% 

Cons: All the cons of injection/shot and many more  

Pro: Very low failure rate, yayyy, long lasting!

  • Intrauterine Device (IUD)

Doctors inserts a T-shaped device inside a woman’s body

Depending upon the type it lasts from 3 – 10 years

Failure rate: 0.1% - 0.8%

Cons: Side effects includes issues cramps, irregular periods, dizziness

Pros: Happy and children-free– no KIDding (pun intended)

  • Permanent Methods

Please think this through before proceeding. For women it is “tying tubes/ tubal ligation” and for men it's a vasectomy. Both have a failure rate of less than 0.15%. Moreover, only surgeons can perform it. That said, for detailed discussions, contact a doctor. Both are also reversible, and both come with a risk.  Not only the physical changes associated with it but mental as well. And the fact that if you change your mind, then the reversal might not very effective either. So, think it through...

The Lawazmaat

You are Your own Person

You might have your reasons for not having children. Maybe either you want to focus on your career or be more financially stable. Maybe you have a disease that you don’t want to pass down to your children or maybe you downright like your freedom. Whatever your reasons maybe, it is no one’s business but your own, not your parents, in-laws or even the shopkeeper from which you are buying the condoms. Don’t give people too much liberty over you. Your body, your choice. Own. It.

Include Your Significant Other

We really hope having kids or not is something that you have discussed with your significant other. And we hope you can take them onboard and discuss the birth control types and side effects before choosing a route rather than blindsiding them and damaging trust.

Where to Get Them?

Now the question is where to buy these "unattainable" and "difficult to procure" birth control mechanisms. If you still cannot swallow your embarrassment, buy your birth control methods online using apps like Airlift. Or you can either swallow your pride and go see a doctor or buy things at the store like a self-assured confident queen or king. Most pharmacies and grocery stores have the basic versions available at their counter.

What Women Want?

We asked a few people their stance on birth control. They said they despised all the birth control mechanisms because of how it made them feel physically. They felt less confident, and some also battled depression. And women almost unanimously want men to use condoms rather than having them go through so much trauma on their body. I think having an honest open dialogue discussion with your partner can clear up a lot of things.

Child Hater

We are not children haters and neither are you. So, don’t feel guilty for using any birth control methods. We will stop the fatwa when it comes. Trust the process.

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or DM us on our Instagram page. So, we will have a doctor respond to your queries. 

We hope you enjoyed reading this blog, feel free to check out our other blogs.