Access to Reproductive Health Services and Maternal Perceptions on Family Planning in an Indigenous Guatemalan Valley

Table 3

Descriptions provided for each form of contraception .

Form of contraception	Description provided
Female sterilization	When women undergo surgery to avoid having more children
Male sterilization	When men undergo surgery to prevent a woman from getting pregnant
IUD	Women may ask a doctor or nurse to put a spiral, ring, or copper T in the uterus.
Injections	Women may ask a health worker to give them an injection to avoid getting pregnant for one or more months.
Implant	Women may ask a doctor or nurse to place capsules (tubes) under their arm skin to avoid getting pregnant for one or several years.
Birth control pills	Women can take a pill every day to avoid getting pregnant.
Condom	Men can put a rubber band or latex on the penis during sex.
Female condom	Women can put a rubber band on their vagina before sexual intercourse.
Vaginal methods	Women may place a cream, a diaphragm, or tablets inside the vagina before having intercourse.
Lactation and amenorrhea methods	The woman can delay her period after delivery by breastfeeding exclusively day and night when the baby is less than 6 months old.
Necklace method	To avoid getting pregnant, women can count the days of their menstrual cycle with the beads of a necklace and avoid sexual intercourse on days when the beads are white.
Withdrawal	Men can be careful and withdraw before terminating the sexual act.
Emergency contraception	As an emergency measure, within three days of having sex, women may take special pills to keep them from getting pregnant.