The New Man – Contra Quiz answers

Contraceptive Awareness Week 2008

Contraception quiz: Answer to question one

1. Which of these is a contraceptive method?

All of them are contraceptive methods.

There are 14 methods altogether, 12 methods for women and two for men (male condom and male sterilisation). You can discuss which option is best for you at your nearest contraceptive clinic, with your general practitioner or practice nurse. For more information on all the options available have a look at our leaflet Your guide to contraception.

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Contraception quiz: Answer to question two

2. Contraceptive cover can be delivered in a variety of different ways. Do you know which of these are correct?

C and E are the odd ones out and aren’t a contraceptive method. The rest are in fact: A the contraceptive implant, B the contraceptive patch and D the IUD. This means that if you don’t find a method you like there are other ones available to suit your lifestyle. Again, you can discuss all the contraceptive options at a contraceptive clinic or with a general practitioner or practice nurse. Some pharmacists provide contraceptive consultations too.

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Contraception quiz: Answer to question three

3. Condoms are the second most commonly used contraceptive method after the pill. We know condoms protect against pregnancy and most sexually transmitted infections but do you know who first started using condoms?

The answer is A.

It is believed that Egyptians first used various forms of penis protectors for protection against disease and insects, and possibly as badges of rank and decoration. From the 18th century condoms were made out of animal intestines but by the mid-19th century condoms were being made from rubber. In the 1930s crepe rubber condoms were replaced by latex. Polyurethane condoms are now also available if you are allergic to rubber. All condoms come in a range of different shapes and sizes so you can choose the one that suits you best. Find out more about condoms.

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Contraception quiz: Answer to question four

4. It’s all going well. You’ve both decided tonight is the night and the condom is there just waiting to be used. You unwrap it, slowly put it on and then realise too late that it’s not rolling down the penis smoothly and it’s a bit difficult to unravel. After a bit of investigation you realise you have it on inside out. What do you do?

The answer is C.

We don’t know for sure but pre-ejaculate (the fluid a man produces before he ‘comes’) can contain sperm. So if you turn the condom round and put it on again, in effect all you are doing is helping sperm to go deeper into the vagina. However, for those who answered B: If you have managed to roll the condom down, without taking it off so it‘s completely covering the penis and you’re sure that rolling it down hasn’t snagged or split the condom then it’s still perfectly safe to use. Find out more about condoms.

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Contraception quiz: Answer to question five

5. Now to the technical question. How is ‘The Pill’ taken?

Trick question, of course they are both right. There are two types of pill:

• The combined pill which women take for 21 days then have a seven day break from using.
• The progestogen-only pill which women have to take every day without a break. Because there is only one hormone in the progestogen-only pill she has to take it every day to keep her contraceptive cover up.

For the real contraceptive techies among you there are three types of combined pill:

• The most commonly used one is Monophasic 21 day pills: pills with the same amount of hormone in which are taken for 21 days and then with a seven day break.
• Phasic 21 day pills: pills with different amounts of hormone in taken in a certain order with a seven day break.
• EveryDay pills: pills with the same amount of hormones but with seven placebo pills that replace the seven day break.

There are also different types of progestogen-only pill. Some come with a three hour time frame to take it in everyday. One type (Cerazette) comes with a 12 hour time frame to take it in everyday.

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Contraception quiz: Answer to question six

6. If a woman is using the combined pill and misses one pill only what should she do?

The answer is B.

If one combined pill is missed anywhere in the pack, or you are starting a new pack one day late, it is not a problem. The missed pill should be taken straight away and then take the rest of the pack as usual. Depending on what brand you are using you can miss up to two pills in a pack but you must check to find out which one you’re using as you may have to use additional contraception. It is more risky to start a pack late, finish a day early or miss more than one pill.

If you are more than three hours late taking a progestogen-only pill (12 hours if using Cerazette) then the missed pill must be taken straight away and the next one at the correct time. However, additional contraception, such as condoms, must be used for two days as you will not be protected against pregnancy.

Still confused? Find more advice on what to do if you have:

• missed your combined pill
• missed your progestogen-only pill.

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Contraception quiz: Answer to question seven

7. Which is the odd one out? Clue: it’s something to do with hormones …

The answer is A.

The contraceptive patch is the odd one out as it contains two types of hormone – estrogen and progestogen. The rest only have one hormone – progestogen. The patch is very similar to the pill. Instead of taking a pill for 21 days and then having a seven day break, you put a different patch on every week and then have a patch free week. Find out more about the contraceptive patch.

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Contraception quiz: answer to question eight

8. Natural family planning is the only method of contraception that involves understanding the bodies own cycle as contraception. The method doesn’t involve using any hormones or any barriers (like a condom or diaphragm). Instead a number of fertility indicators (like changes in mucus, temperature, time between and length of periods) are recorded to chart the most and least fertile time of a woman's monthly cycle.

The answer is C. Honest!

The effectiveness of natural family planning depends on how many fertility indicators are used (we advise more than two) and that it must be taught by a qualified teacher. In fact new independent research from Germany came out in the spring of 2007 showing how effective a method it is.

Our leaflet on Natural family planning is one of our most popular website downloads.

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Contraception quiz: answer to question nine

9. Now you know all about the different types of contraception. But what about where to get them from and how much they cost? Do you think the following is true or false?

Don’t worry, the statement is false. Anyone can get contraception for free whatever age you are and there are a number of places where you can get it from. It is free from contraceptive clinics, sexual health clinics, general practices, young people’s services (there may be an upper age limit) and some genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics.

Unfortunately not every general practice provides condoms but you can always get free ones from contraceptive and GUM clinics. Find your nearest clinic.

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Contraception quiz: answer to question ten

10. Do you know how long after unprotected sex you can take the emergency contraceptive pill – you may know it as the morning-after pill?

The answer is D.

The emergency contraceptive pill can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex, but it is more effective the sooner it’s taken so it’s good to know where you can get it from.

The IUD can also be used as emergency contraception and can be fitted up to five days after unprotected sex. You will have to make an appointment at your nearest contraceptive clinic or general practice to have it fitted.

The emergency contraceptive pill is available free from contraceptive clinics, general practices, NHS walk-in centres and some pharmacies. It can also be bought at almost all pharmacies if you are over 16. It will cost around £25 but can be bought more cheaply from Marie Stopes International or bpas clinics.

If you are under 16 you can get if for free from young people’s clinics, your school nurse (if supplied) and from many pharmacies. You can find your nearest clinic using our online Find a clinic search or by calling the FPA helpline.

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