Hanover - When young women start having butterflies in their stomachs while kissing their boyfriend, many look forward to sleeping with them, but it's important to think about contraception beforehand.

What contraceptives are best suited to young women and what should she pay attention to when learning about contraception, are just some of the possible questions they may have. Christian Albring, a representative of the German professional association of gynaecologists, recently answered those questions in Hanover.

What is a good contraceptive for girls?

Many young women take the pill. It is generally well-tolerated and is very effective. The pill has to be taken every day for three weeks. Afterwards, there's a seven-day break in which no pill is taken and the period begins.

"A big advantage of the pill is that it regulates monthly bleeding and periods usually are not heavy," said Albring. Apart from that, it also curtails spotting between periods and abdominal pain and headaches often ease.

How does the pill work?

It contains artificial female hormones that fool the brain into thinking that the body is producing its own hormones. Thus, the brain no longer stimulates the ovaries to produce an egg. There is no longer ovulation, and without that, no egg that can be fertilized. The pill also thickens the mucus in the cervix to prevent sperm from penetrating, providing double security.

What happens if a girl cannot tolerate the pill?

There are other more suitable contraceptive methods for young women such as the hormone patch and the hormone ring.

"Both contain hormones and protect very securely," said Ursula Marschall, a medical technician at a health clinic in Wuppertal. The patch is about 4 centimetres square and is stuck to the skin, for example on the inside of the upper arm. It has to be changed weekly.

"You can swim and shower as usual with it on," said Marschall.

The ring has a diameter of about 5 centimetres and is inserted once a month into the vagina like a tampon. "Both methods regularly release the hormones into the blood," said Marschall. The disadvantage is that the patch is visible and the ring must be inserted monthly and the girls have to do it themselves. Many girls find that unpleasant.

What about a condom?

The advantage of the condom is that it protects against HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and sexually transmitted diseases. But it has to be correctly stored and correctly put on. As Germany's centre for health education in Cologne writes in its brochure Sex 'n' Tips, if a young man does not know how to use a condom correctly, it can cause a tear, leaving it ineffective.

Can't you just stop having sex right before ejaculating?

"The so-called coitus interruptus is not effective at all," said Marschall. "Sperm can get into the vagina well ahead of an orgasm." Therefore, it's important to put on the condom before starting intercourse, otherwise a pregnancy can occur.

Does alcohol affect contraceptives?

Not in the case of the patch, the ring and the condom. "With the pill, it's important to take it every day at about the same time, for example, in the morning before school or at night before going to bed," said Albring. You have to think about that before going to a party.

"If you vomit within four hours of taking the pill, you have to take another one, optimally the last one in the packet." If you forget to take the pill, you should use a condom for the rest of the cycle or talk to your gynaecologist about other measures.

Does the pill cause weight gain?

"Previously, women on the pill noticed an increase in appetite," said Marschall. But meanwhile, the pill has been altered so much that the concentration of hormones is very low and the average weight of all women observed remained constant.