Finding a permanent form of birth control can be a whole new challenge. Women seeking permanent birth control so that they can’t have more children—or any in the first place—have had limited options that included the tubal ligation for women and the vasectomy for men.
But for those of us who are nervous about tubal ligation or whose partners squirm at the very mention of a vasectomy, Essure offers a non-invasive and non-hormonal permanent birth control method.
Essure is relatively new and many women (like me) either don’t know much about it or have never even heard of it. Here’s what I can offer up on the subject.
The Essure procedure has been approved by the FDA since 2002, and to date, hundreds of thousands of women have opted for the procedure in the United States alone. Medical records show that, when the procedure is done properly, there have been absolutely no—zero—zilch failures in the method. In other words, we’re talking 100% effective in women who were not already pregnant at the time of the procedure. (No, it can’t be assumed that nobody in the study was already pregnant at the time of the procedure—as it turned out.)
During an Essure procedure, two small coils are passed through the vagina and uterus into the fallopian tubes. These coils are made of materials that have been used in medical devices for years, so they are time-tested and safe. The materials are also hormone-free!
Insertion of the Essure device takes place in-office, and no anesthesia or incisions are necessary.
Over the three months immediately following the procedure, your body and the coils work together to form a natural barrier (like scar tissue) to permanently prevent the sperm from reaching the egg.
After the initial three-month period, your Gainesville Essure specialist will perform a confirmation test where a safe dye is inserted into your vagina and will take an x-ray to ensure that none of the dye gets beyond the natural blockage created from the Essure procedure.
This easy confirmation test allows your birth control physician to see if the natural barrier has formed and assures that you are adequately protected against future pregnancy.
It’s that simple—permanent birth control.
While I find it astounding that it took this long to develop such an efficient and uncomplicated sterilization method for women, I also find it is truly ideal for anyone looking for permanent birth control: from busy moms who have no time for a hospital visit and days of recovery associated with tubal ligations to women concerned about hormonal issues associated with laparoscopy.
It’s no wonder that 93% of women in a study preferred Essure over the laparoscopy method. It is also not surprising all 93 women viewed an office-based location as the main advantage as well as other reasons such as cost and fear of incision and general anesthesia.
A non-incisional, office-based approach to sterilization has high patient appeal, apparently.
Women today certainly have a superior option, the Essure procedure, over laparoscopy.
When your family is complete, consider Essure permanent birth control. Call a Gainesville birth control specialist at All About Women to schedule an appointment today.
