The pill - really the right way to equality in sex?

When the first birth control pill came onto the market in the 1960s, it quickly became a symbol of women's self-determination and equality. At last, women could decide whether or not to have children completely independently of their husbands. In this respect, a great thing. But what once began as a liberating blow now puts many women under pressure: when hormonal intervention suddenly no longer feels like self-determination at all and there are no real alternatives.

Why it's worthwhile for women and men alike to finally change something and think about contraception together in the future:

Because the pill is one of the safest and simplest methods of contraception, it has become a matter of course in many places that the woman makes appropriate preparations. Many a man is probably glad about this, because he may have had experiences in which condoms (used incorrectly) significantly diminished the feeling or even burst. And anyway, if many a young lady takes the pill long before her first sexual experience in order to get her acne under control - what should be the objection? But quite apart from the fact that a condom should be the top priority in many situations for reasons of infection alone: Is contraception really a woman's business? Because even if the pill seems so simple at first, it also has numerous disadvantages - from mood swings and physical disorders to the complete disappearance of sexual desire.

If you as a woman or your partner are not exactly one of those women who can take the pill for many years without any accompanying symptoms, or if hormonal contraception is simply no longer an option, you should take a little time and find out about alternatives. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as the perfect contraceptive method - they all have their respective advantages and disadvantages. But there are many options and ultimately everyone has to decide for themselves what suits them best. It is important that you yourself make the decision for everything that has to do with your body. Because apart from sterilization and condoms, contraception takes place almost exclusively on the part of the woman and is sometimes associated with considerable physical interventions (e.g. with the copper IUD or the 3-month injection). The most important thing about contraception: you must be fully committed to your method and feel comfortable with it.

The fact that the decision about one's own body always lies with oneself does not, of course, preclude joint decisions. The best thing is when you both feel comfortable with the new contraceptive method and take responsibility together. Here it is worthwhile to think about the condom again. Because here both the woman and the man can take the lead and both are equally responsible for contraception. You can simply take turns buying them and decide for yourself whether you want to go to your local store for a short time or order them conveniently online - so the costs and the (small) effort are distributed absolutely fairly. Above all, no doctor's visit is necessary and you don't have to do anything you might have concerns about. And as far as possible difficulties with condoms are concerned, don't worry: once you have found the right condom size, the widespread disadvantages are nothing more than unfounded excuses. Everything fits perfectly and you can enjoy intense and safe sex.

Of course, you can also combine different contraceptive methods. Natural family planning (NFP), for example, is an exciting concept in which a woman can tell approximately when she is ovulating based on signals from her body. To do this, she measures her body temperature every morning and the so-called cervical mucus several times a day. In the long run, this results in a monthly window of about 12 to 14 days around the fertile phase, during which contraception with a condom is important. On the remaining days, you can do without an additional contraceptive method. Of course, a condom is still appropriate for protection against diseases - that's why NFP is especially suitable for sex in long-term relationships. With absolutely conscientious implementation, NFP is considered to be as safe as the pill. However, before you try this or other methods, always inform yourself in detail about the corresponding risks so that you are always on the safe side.