[Choosing contraception]. / Optar por la anticoncepcion.

PIP: The development of contraception has allowed women to think about and experience motherhood not as their destiny but as an option. Humans have always been interested in controlling their fertility. Writings unearthed in the 18th century demonstrated the interest of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks in fertility control. The oral contraceptive (OC) pill, developed in the 1950s by Pincus and Rock, has allowed millions of women to avoid unwanted pregnancy. Since 1960, when the oral contraceptive Enovid was first marketed in the US, over 200 million women throughout the world have used OCs. Modern formulations have low hormone doses, which has minimized side effects. OCs now have an effectiveness of 98%. The method is controlled by the woman, permitting autonomous decisions about pregnancy. Currently, in Colombia, 12.9% of women in union use OCs, 25.7% are sterilized, 11.1% each use IUDs and traditional methods, 4.3% use condoms, 2.5% use injectables, 1.4% use vaginal tablets, 0.7% each use Norplant and vasectomy, and 1.8% use other methods. 27.8% use no method. OCs can be used as an emergency method in case of rape, an unexpected sexual encounter, or failure of another method. When used as a postcoital method, OCs must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse.^ieng