Birth Control and STI Testing

At The University of Kansas Health System, our physicians are dedicated to providing comprehensive women's healthcare, including care for women's reproductive health. At different times in their lives, many women may wish to prevent pregnancy. We can help you find a method of contraception that works for you.

Our physicians also provide comprehensive services that test for and treat sexually transmitted infections (STI). All counseling, testing and treatment is completely confidential. We offer thorough consultations in fertility management for all women, including women with complex medical conditions.

Birth control empowers women to choose when or whether to plan for pregnancy. Some types of birth control also help lower the risk for contracting sexually transmitted infections.

Any sexually active woman can be a good candidate for birth control, as well as testing and treatment for STI. Not every woman is a good candidate for every type of birth control, however. No matter what your contraceptive needs are, our team can answer your questions about different birth control methods and make recommendations about the choice that could work best for you.

Our physicians are also experts in contraceptive care for women with medical conditions that complicate their birth control options. Women who may benefit from our services include those with:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Clotting or bleeding disorder
• Developmental delay
• Difficult IUD or implant removals or insertions
• Dissatisfaction or side effects from previous or current contraceptive methods
• Epilepsy or other seizure disorders
• History of cancer/currently have cancer
• Migraines
• Obesity
• Organ transplant or dialysis
• Spinal cord injury
• Taking teratogenic medications (medications that may cause birth defects in the event of pregnancy), such as Accutane
• Uterine anomaly

We provide a full range of birth control options, including 3 types of IUDs, the contraceptive implant, birth control pills, the patch, the ring and the shot. We can also give guidance on how to use birth control that doesn’t require a prescription, such as natural family planning methods, male and female condoms and the contraceptive sponge.

Some women may choose permanent sterilization because they do not desire any future pregnancies. Our team offers traditional tubal ligation with laparoscopy and noninvasive permanent tubal occlusion. Pregnant women can also choose to have a sterilization procedure immediately after delivery.

Our providers can help you choose a birth control method, address any challenges that may arise with a method and switch birth control methods as your needs change. We also provide consultations for family planning, infertility treatment and STI testing and treatment.

The risks of birth control vary, depending on the specific contraceptive method used. Your doctor will talk to you about the risks of your specific birth control method. Without any birth control, the chances of pregnancy increase significantly.

While the specifics of your birth control treatment will vary depending on which type of contraception you use, the ultimate goal of birth control is to prevent a viable pregnancy. This can be done through hormone management, natural family planning, barrier methods that physically prevent sperm from reaching the egg and other options. Many women choose to combine more than 1 type of birth control.