In an interesting move, Consumer Reports tackles birth control options in their February issue, and concludes that just about anything from IUDs, to the Pill, to Abortion is a lot better for you than you may think, and probably safer than pregnancy.
They also examine condoms, and conclude the worst two of all those they tested were from Planned Parenthood. Hmmm. Wonder why that would be?
Now even the folks at Planned Parenthood would acknowledge the existence of abstinence as a "birth control method" (Consumer Reports doesn't) and some of the risks of things like IUDs. But check out Consumer Reports glowing report on IUDs:
Yet today’s IUDs have an excellent safety record, allow women years of “set it and forget it” contraception, and can be less expensive overall than other birth-control methods.Two brands are available in the U.S. The ParaGard T380A, a T-shaped device, releases copper ions that prevent pregnancy by slowing down sperm and preventing eggs from maturing to the point where they can be fertilized. It can stay in place for up to a decade, but can cause heavier menstrual bleeding and cramps.
That’s not the case with the newest IUD, Mirena. “It’s highly effective, completely reversible, and makes periods lighter and less crampy,” says Mitchell Creinin, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh. The reason is that Mirena releases a steady trickle of the hormone progestin, which over time thins the uterine lining so that it can’t support a pregnancy. It lasts for five years, but a woman can have it removed at any time and she doesn’t have to wait before
I don't think the manufacturers could have done better!
Yet another example of ideology, the tie that blinds.