Yasmina Kattou, edited by Laura Laplaud
According to a new British study published in the journal ‘PLOS Medicine’, all forms of hormonal contraception increase the risk of breast cancer in women, including the increasingly used progestin-only methods. What are the hormone-free alternatives?
Pill, IUD, implant or injection… Women using hormonal contraception have an increased risk, of approximately 20 to 30%, of developing breast cancer, reveals a British study published in the journal PLOS Medicine. The same is true for methods containing only a progestogen or estrogen-progestogen. Faced with this non-negligible risk, what are the alternatives without hormones?
Condoms, spermicides, surgery…
Among the alternatives, the most classic is the condom – male or female – which only provides 85% protection against an unwanted pregnancy. In question, the misuse or a rupture of the condom.
Spermicides in gel or cream form can also be a solution. They make it possible to inactivate the spermatozoa but the effectiveness leaves something to be desired, warns Isabelle Héron. According to the president of the National Federation of Colleges of Medical Gynecology, the best contraception without hormones is the copper IUD. “It is a small object that is placed in the uterus which contains copper. It has an action on the mobility of spermatozoa and an inflammatory action at the level of the lining of the uterus which prevents the implantation of an embryo if there is fertilization.”
Some women also use methods to track their cycle, to identify the most fertile periods and avoid intercourse at these times. Surgery can also be used: vasectomy, reversible for men. Women can request a tubal ligation. However, this method of contraception is permanent.