Birth Control with Essure

A woman will try many birth control methods before finding one that suits her and her partner. Once the family is complete, she will usually look for a permanent family planning method that does not require pills, condoms and other things that may fail if not used properly. Once such a method is found, a major stress factor is removed and life can be enjoyed to the fullest without needless anxiety.

Permanent contraception is the most common form of birth control for women over the age of 30 and for those who are not planning to have any more children. Essure is a safe and effective means of permanent birth control. Once done, it lasts for life.

The Procedure

Essure is a nonsurgical means of permanent birth control that does not have any side effects. It works with a woman’s body to create a natural way of stopping pregnancies from occurring. It is FDA approved and in the almost 15 years that it has been available, has been proven to be 99% safe and effective.

The procedure is done in your doctor’s office, without the necessity to be hospitalized. It only takes about 10 minutes after which you can walk out and return to your normal activities. Small inserts are placed in the fallopian tubes via the vagina. These inserts block sperm from reaching the eggs and causing pregnancy. The inserts are designed to be soft and flexible so that they adapt to the shape of the tube structure without any discomfort and also so that they remain firmly in place. Local anesthetic and pain medication is used to avoid any discomfort that may be felt during the procedure. Once the anesthesia wears off, which is normally a few minutes after the procedure is completed, you can go back to your home, office or anywhere else you want.

It is important to remember that there is no such thing as a 100% effective birth control method. That being said, Essure is among the most effective. Also, Essure is only a method of birth control and does not offer protection again sexually transmitted diseases or HIV.

After The Procedure

In a few cases, patients may experience, nausea, vaginal bleeding, cramping, mild pain and back or pelvic discomfort. If this should occur, you doctor will prescribe medication to relieve the symptoms which are normally short lived.

It takes 3 month for the Essure inserts to become fully effective. During this period you will have to use other birth control methods to avoid pregnancy. After the 3 months are over, your doctor will perform a confirmation test to check that the fallopian tubes are fully blocked. In a few cases it may take a little longer for the blockage of the tubes to be complete. If the blockage is not complete after 3 months, another confirmation test will be done after a period decided by your doctor. Once the blockage is confirmed there is no need to use any other form of birth control.

Consult a Specialist 

Essure has been proven to be safe, effective and convenient for birth control, though it is possible that there are women who could be exceptions and this method may not be suitable. Consult a medical specialist who will determine if this is right for you and if it is not,  willtell you what the other options are.