Essure: A New Permanent Method of Birth Control for Women

For women looking for a permanent, less invasive form of permanent birth control, Essure might be just what the doctor ordered. Essure, made by the pharmaceutical company Conceptus, offers a way to permanently block the flow of your fallopian tubes without major surgery, or the chance of failure or reversal in the future.

Essure is a hormone-free method of ensuring that your eggs can not reach your uterus, nor can sperm travel up and cause an ectopic pregnancy in your fallopian tube. This procedure is not reversible and is only for women who are 100% sure they no longer want children.

During the procedure, your gynecologist will put you under light sedation (general anesthesia is not used for this procedure) and insert coil-like devices called a micro inserts into your fallopian tubes. The procedure lasts about fifteen minutes. You may experience cramping or light bleeding after the procedure, but my gynecologist said most women are back to work the next day.

For the first three months after the procedure, you need to use a backup method of birth control, whether it is a re-insertion of an IUD, the pill, or a condom, because it takes time for the procedure to work.

During those three months, the coil that was inserted will cause scar tissue to form around and in it, which will completely block off any entry or exit from the tubes. Before your doctor gives you the green light to have sex without protection, a radiologist will give you the Essure Confirmation Test, which is a special X-ray used with dye to make sure the micro inserts are in the correct position, and that your tubes are completely blocked.

According to the Essure pamphlet I received at my doctor's office, Essure is the only FDA approved birth control method that had zero pregnancies during the clinical trials.

Essure will not affect your periods, since no hormones are involved. My doctor told me that many women, while happy with not having to worry about pregnancies, were upset with having to deal with full-on periods again, thanks to the cessation of birth control pills or the removal of the Mirena IUD, which completely suppresses menstruation in some women. For these women, going back on the pill to control their flow was an option. Of course, one of the main reasons for getting the procedure was so they wouldn't have to worry about taking pills anymore.

When it comes to permanent birth control options, many women are familiar with tubal ligation and hysterectomies, but have yet to hear about Essure and are surprised to learn that this new, more modern option is available. For more information about Essure, go to http://www.essure.com or call 1-877-Essure-1 (1-877-377-8731).