A friend and i were talking about contraceptives this weekend. She's getting married in September and is really worried about not yet getting pregnant. They have been in a long distance relationship and the honest truth is the longest amount of time they've been together has not been more than 10days at a time. So i'm guessing she's very concerned about sha spending time with the guy before they get married.

Anyway, ignorance is a really bad thing sha...i on the other hand plan on having a baby right away so i haven't thought about or have plans for contraceptives. She then mentioned that if at all, well, we don't plan on having kids every 9 months right?

Very Correct!

So she's been doing research on it and i'm amazed at some of the things she mentioned...i had to look it up myself and these are some of what i found....(Now some of these may not be news to many....but it is to me...sorry....)

courtesy: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex_relationships/facts/contraception_which.htm

What are the most popular types of contraception?
The Pill including the mini-Pill
Male condom
Vasectomy
Female sterilisation
The coil (intra-uterine device)
Withdrawal method
Persona and other variations of the rhythm method
Contraceptive injection
Mirena (intra-uterine system)
Skin patch
The cap or diaphragm
Female condom
The league table changes from time to time, depending on factors such as Pill scares and the introduction of new methods.For instance, the number of women using Depo-provera (the contraceptive injection) seems to have increased a little since 2000.

What works and what doesn't?
With the exception of withdrawal (coitus interruptus), the above methods have the blessing of family planning experts because when used properly, they prevent pregnancy.However, while the rhythm method is okay for well-motivated couples who have been trained in its use by a qualified natural family planning teacher, for the rest of us, it’s a bit risky.

Also very risky are certain non-approved methods, for instance, using spermicides (chemical pessaries, creams or foams), or douching your vagina after sex.Practices like ‘doing it standing up’ or ‘coughing a lot afterwards’ or ‘trying not to come’ don’t work, and will simply lead to unwanted pregnancy.

How effective are the various methods?Some contraceptive methods are more effective in preventing pregnancy than others, while only condoms offer protection against sexually transmitted infections.

The following figures will give you some idea of which kinds of contraception are the most efficient at protecting you against pregnancy.
Vasectomy - Almost 100 per cent
Female sterilisation- Almost 100 per cent
The Pill-Almost 100 per cent
Contraceptive injection-Almost 100 per cent
IUS (Mirena)- 98 to 99 per cent
IUD (the coil) -97 to 98 per cent
The mini-Pill- Around 98 per cent
Male condom - 90 to 98 per cent
Female condom - 90 to 98 per cent
Diaphragm with spermicide - 90 to 96 per cent

None of the methods is 100 per cent effective, which means the only guaranteed way of preventing conception is to not have sex!(hehehehe) You should also remember that some methods are quite complicated to use, (this is the very reason why i don't like these things, there will always be one "but")and no method is as safe as the figures quoted if you don’t follow the instructions carefully.For example, if you are taking the Pill, you shouldn’t miss taking a tablet. If you are using condoms, you should make sure you put them on before sex starts – not half way through.(why?) If you’re relying on the contraceptive injection, you need to turn up for your jab on time. (what if there is traffic on the way there?)Every method can fail if you don’t take care.

What about new methods of contraception?Other methods of contraception will be available in the future. Below are two recent developments.
The vaginal hormone ring - The vaginal hormone ring (NuvaRing) has been tried out extensively since 2001. It is approved in 32 countries, but not yet in the UK.You keep it in your vagina for three weeks out of every four. During the week you take it out, you will have your period.Like the Pill, it contains two hormones. (and with hormones, your estrogen level is increased causing different kinds of emotions you may not be used to)We don’t know what its long-term effects will be.The most common side effects are known to be:
vaginal inflammation – 14 per cent
headache – 10 per cent
Discharge – 6 per cent
Nausea – 5 per cent.The ring hasn't been generally released in Britain, though you can get it through a few private gynaecologists.As is common with hi-tech methods of contraception, the ring has attracted legal action. In 2008, a lawsuit was launched by a husband who claims that his wife died as a result of using it.

The male Pill The male Pill is still at least five years away from general release, despite the fact that it keeps making headlines.At present, it’s an injection, not a pill.It’s unlikely to reach the British market before 2013.

So, it looks like the older i get, the more changes i'm beginning to realize in my body....i'm still trying to figure out if it's the age (keep in mind i'm getting close to 30) or it's just that all of a sudden i've become more aware of my body....(which i think is beautiful by the way!hehehehe)

Anyway, the change that has been of recent and somehow of concern to me, and was a conversation at work has to do with my ovulation period. I've been having some very interesting body reactions....I didn't use to know/care about when exactly my period was coming, but i always had an idea as i'm pretty regular. The case is different now...i tend to now know 1-2 weeks ahead.

how you ask?

my boobies get really tender and tinglyand by God they hurt!... i get sharp short pains in the stomach, i tend to eat/crave food, and of-course a rather embarassing one...i get horny....

Now these signs have only just started in the last maybe 5-6 months so i'm wondering how come. My hypothesis is on the age factor but maybe i do need to check with a doctor...

Does anyone else get these kinda symptoms? or i'm i just the lucky one? or are there even worse symptoms out there? that should make me feel better....

I can handle all the others except for the eating one...i'm already trying to loose weight as i will be playing my first and last (7 times a bridesmaid, never a bride) MOH (maid of honor) role in September....yipeee!!!! so it's a bother and i can't help the urges...

A co-worker actually mentioned that she gets the horny one during her period itself...thought that was funny....

Was going to put some information up on ovulation...but sorry...realy too lazy...but pls feel free to google it yourself if you need more info...my google search question was "one's ovulation period" and there is some pretty good information out there...

A couple of days ago, a friend and i were talking about another friend we call "ruth." I'm not sure who started it, but we call females who are so deep into their men "ruths" (abokoku) in translation-ruth who will die for her man.

Well, the conversation shifted from how and why females are like that. My friend clearly admits that once you meet the man you "love and cherish" you become that. Infact, she's in a relationship right now and she clearly admits that if her man was here (it's long distance) we would never really see her. Anyone looking for her would know not to go to her family house anymore but to come over to his place because she would spend all her waking hours with him.

I was later thinking bout the fact and wondering if i'm just wierd, have never truly fallen in love, or it's just not in my nature to be like that because the honest truth is i don't see myself being or doing that.

I hate to make a man the center of my world when his not Christ.

In my entire life and man experience, albeit small, i've never felt and still don't feel like i should treat my man the way those people called "ruth" do. I do hope someone understands the extremes of this "love." Don't get me wrong, I know for sure that my man who will later become my husband will get the utmost respect and attention from me but not to a point where i begin to look silly...

We were at a party one time when another girlfriend's man arrived. The girl jumped telling anyone that would listen "oko mi ti de" - my husband has come, pls excuse me; from that point on, everything became about the guy. The time she used in finding him food, the fact that she would not leave his side and even spoke for him during conversations.

females called "ruth" don't keep any secret or anything away or from their men. Whether it is their's or a friend. I may be wrong but a secret is a secret. It should not be shared with another party...husband or not.

Having said all that, i was going to ask if i was wierd about not being an "abaokoku," but now that i think about it, i really don't want to be one. I do want to love freely but i don't want the guy simply thinking/feeling like his the center of my world!

Yesterday, most places were closed where i am because of some snow storm...on the way out later in the evening, we were having a conversation and someone mentioned what would happen in an incidence of snow in Nigeria...i heard some really funny answers:

Reduction in Population - In other words, many would die. Think about those people that live under the bridge or simply on the straights...or the many handicapped.

Crime Reduction - Since nigerians are not used to snow, doubt if even armed robbers would be able to stand the cold or would want to go robb

Stimulate Economy - lol...geezz...i forgot what the logic behind this was...any ideas?

Migration - people may move back to where they originally belong...i think this also would affect the economy as people would take money back to their home states rather than the big cities...

Increased number of believers - justification for this is the fact that many would either believe that God is angry with us as nigerians...the world may be coming to an end...as such people would begin to believe more in whomever it is they believe...

Igbo women will open their wrappers... i can't explain it...but something about ibo women opening their wrappers meaning they mean business...


Not sure if it sounds funny on here, but it was the way these contributions were said that was funny and the exagerated way...