I’m often asked if the Fertility Awareness Method is a good form of birth control for all women, but my answer is usually a surprising “No” — which, as you can imagine, often throws some for a loop. Since I’m clearly a huge advocate of a scientifically validated, natural method of contraception, why wouldn’t I want to shout its praises from the rooftops?
The answer is actually quite simple: I believe that it’s incumbent upon all health professionals to tell the truth. And the truth is that there is no method of birth control that is perfect, and certainly none that are right for every woman. As with virtually all things in life, there are tradeoffs with every single one of them.
At this point, you may be wondering what this has to do with irony? Good question. The other day, as I was watching the news, a clever commercial came on. Over images of women considering different methods of birth control, an authoritative voice stated that “Contraception comes with its compromises:”
Condoms blah blah blah,
the Pill yada yada yada….and
cycle tracking is tied to a calendar.
At that point the voiceover goes into a compelling spiel about the benefits of this new form of contraception, a type of gel which is inserted before sex. That’s fine. But here’s the kicker. . .
“Common side effects are vaginal burning, itching, infection discharge, UTIs, genital-area discomfort, bacterial vaginosis, or pain while urinating . . . Get past your compromises and get Phexxi.”
Excuse me? Are they really that tone-deaf?
Alas, if you are still interested, the good news is that the list price for a box of 12 applicators of Phexxi will only set you back about $267.00. Maybe that should have been added to the list of side-effects, since it will undoubtedly leave you with heartburn, as well.
Hilarious. Ever notice those pharmaceutical commercials often strategically use a passive tone to minimize, and distance themselves from, side effects? I’ve literally heard one such commercial say, “Death may occur,” as opposed to, say, “this could kill you.” “Death may occur” sounds far less visceral, and less personal. They are banking on their viewers lacking critical thinking skills and taking the bait of an emotionally-resonant message. The conclusion they’re selling doesn’t follow from the premise though. Just because you can relate to a frustration they describe, that doesn’t mean their product will ameliorate your woes. The commercial you mention, though, is particularly ironic. It seems everything in life, including, but certainly not limited to, contraceptive products/methods, requires some sort of risk-vs-benefit analysis. I agree with you; there’s no one-size-fits-all.
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