"If you read my articles regularly, you may have already noticed that I am not uncritical of hormonal contraceptives. After all, the pill, contraceptive patches and the hormonal coil have already been shown to have a number of serious side effects:

- Depression
- listlessness
- Increased risk of thrombosis.

None of this has to occur, but it can. And despite this possibility, the pill was the number one contraceptive for decades. And it still is today. We are so used to it that it often doesn't even occur to us to look for hormone-free alternatives. And when we do, we come across natural methods such as taking our temperature and monitoring cervical mucus or mechanical contraceptives such as the diaphragm.

It's easy without hormones

However, these methods require us to take some time for ourselves, plan and, above all, observe our bodies very closely. Hm, better not, far too time-consuming, some women may think. And possibly having to touch yourself in the vagina will drive the next one crazy. In this case, swallowing a small pill clearly seems to be the better option. After all, some preparations also have good side effects such as eliminating any skin impurities.

The advantages are therefore quite obvious. Nevertheless, women or couples should consider whether they want to permanently burden the female body, the female psyche and their shared pleasure with the above-mentioned side effects. It is therefore to be welcomed if further research is carried out in this area. There are now good alternatives, such as the copper IUD or the less well-known copper chain, which use copper instead of hormones. The contraceptive ball now also works via copper.

Copper is on the rise in contraception

The contraceptive ball, copper ball or intrauterine ball (IUD) is the most modern contraceptive inserted into the uterus and has the same mode of action as the copper IUD or the copper chain. In both cases, the copper inhibits sperm motility. And if you can't reach the target, you can't get a hit. The main difference is the shape. This is because the copper beads actually lie in the uterus as a ball-shaped structure with a diameter of 12 to 18 millimeters.

Now you may be wondering how such a ball is supposed to get into the uterus. That sounds a bit complicated at first. After all, the cervix only has a narrow opening. But it's not that difficult. Something special has been devised here:

• For some time now, so-called stents have been used to treat narrowed blood vessels. These are small tubes made of a wire mesh of the material Nitinol and ensure that the vessels cannot close. The suitability of this material has already been confirmed millions of times. And it has a shape memory. This means that it can be shaped at will, but always returns to its original shape. Imagine a paper clip that we pull apart, lost in thought, and which then twists back into its original shape.

The contraceptive ball works on the same principle. The material, on which there are seventeen copper beads, is stretched out and pushed into the uterus via a narrow tube. Once it reaches its destination, it unrolls back into a ball. It is also removed in the same way via the retrieval cord. Insertion and removal should take place during menstruation, as the cervix is slightly open during this time.

The advantages at a glance

- As already mentioned, there are no hormones involved. The effect unfolds via the copper.
- The contraceptive ball can remain in the uterus for up to five years and provides effective contraceptive protection for just as long
- The Pearl Index is given as 0.3 to 0.8. In this case, the Pearl Index means that 3 to 8 out of 1000 women who use contraception with the copper ball for one year will become pregnant. In comparison, the pill has a Pearl Index of 0.1 to 0.9.
- The contraceptive ball is well tolerated and has no effect on bone density. The latter can be the case with the three-month injection. Calcium is removed from the bones due to the lack of oestrogen and osteoporosis can occur.
- No fixation in the uterine wall is necessary as with the copper chain.
- Protects the lining of the uterus.
- The contraceptive ball is better tolerated than IUDs.
- Important for pleasure: Libido is not affected and we don't get any fatter.
- The natural cycle takes place as normal and so does ovulation.
- As soon as the contraceptive ball has been removed, a woman can become pregnant again. With hormonal contraceptives, this can take up to a year or even longer
It would be too nice if there were no side effects. But of course there are. In the early days, you may experience abdominal pain, possibly accompanied by light bleeding or heavier menstrual bleeding. But we are women. We can do it .

How much does the contraceptive ball cost?

Of course you now want to know how much it costs. If you are planning to get pregnant in the near future, this purchase is certainly not worth it. After all, you will have to reckon with 400 to 500 euros plus the annual check-ups. But don't forget, the ball can remain in the uterus for five years. This means that the cost per year is between 100 and 120 euros. Now you can work out what the pill will cost you and think again about its side effects."

Anja Drews - qualified sex educator for ORION

You might also be interested in this:
5 contraceptive myths: What's true?
Contraceptive no. 1: 8 facts about the condom
Three-month injection: Is it as safe as the pill?
Stopping the pill: This is what happens in our body
No more excuses! Bring on the condom!
Sex during your period?
The power of hormones and their effects