When it comes to their sexual health, what women don’t know can hurt them.
But University Health Center officials are trying to help women improve their health by educating them about birth control options now available at the health center, as well as the symptoms of urinary tract infections, which are common infections sometimes caused by sexual intercourse.
The University Health Center has offered Depo-Provera, an injectable form of birth control, for some time. But now, students have a choice. For the past week, the health center also has offered its female patients Lunelle, another type of injectable birth control.
“It will be nice for women to have another option,” said Colleen Jones, the health center’s women’s health care nurse practitioner.
Jones, who has given one injection of Lunelle so far, said there are several differences between the two types of birth control.
She said with Lunelle, it is easier for a woman to become fertile down the road because it offers protection for only one month at a time, instead of three months at a time like Depo-Provera.
“Lunelle is a lot like the birth control pill, only in an injectable form,” she said. “But pills can be a little less effective, because a woman forgets to take them.”
She said it is up to the woman to make a choice.
“Every woman is different, and that’s the bottom line,” she said.
Jones said the first injection of Lunelle is given within the first five days of the start of a woman’s period, and from then on, shots must be given every 28-30 days for a woman to remain protected.
She said one good thing about the health center giving women a choice is that certain side effects may result from using each form.
“If this happened, we can now offer them another choice, which is just as effective,” she said.
Dr. Gerald Fleischli, director of the health center, said the form used depends on the woman because both Lunelle and Depo-Provera have different side effects.
He said Lunelle contains the female hormone estrogen, which may be the healthier choice for some because a lack of estrogen can lead to osteoporosis, but sometimes estrogen can be indirectly responsible for heart attacks and strokes.
On the flip side, he said Depo-Provera does not contain estrogen, but it can cause depression.
“So it’s really up to the woman to decide,” he said. “Choice is what it’s all about.”
But Jones said she is confident about Lunelle.
“Time will tell,” she said, “but the numbers look good, and it seems to be well tolerated.”
However, one thing Lunelle and Depo-Provera cannot protect women from is urinary tract infections.
Cindy Smith, adult nurse practitioner at the health center, said having intercourse is one way bacteria can enter the bladder and cause such infections. She said there were 81 visits during fall term because of urinary tract infections, although many women do not realize it when they have one.
She said the symptoms include constantly feeling the urge to urinate, but not being able to, and burning and itching sensations. It is important that women are aware of these symptoms so they know when to seek treatment, she said.
“If someone’s never had an infection before, they should come in and have an evaluation because sometimes it turns out to be other things,” Smith said.
Kidney infection is one serious problem that is sometimes mistaken for a urinary tract infection, which is why it is important to be checked out, she said.
“Without the awareness, you risk much worse complications,” she said.
Smith said ways to prevent urinary tract infections are to drink more fluids and avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can irritate the bladder.