Have you ever sat and wondered if you’re going mad because seemingly ALL of your friends and family have birthdays in September? Don’t worry, you’re not going mad at all. We’re here to tell you that September is actually the most popular birth month in the UK… and if you think about it, it makes total sense.
If you count back nine months from September, it takes you to December. We guess that’s one way to spread festive cheer! But, seriously, if you’d rather avoid unplanned pregnancy, and don’t fancy becoming a parent right now (or ever), we’d recommend looking into a regular contraceptive method.
Why is September the most popular birth month?
Like we mentioned, it all comes down to the month of conception, and nine months before September is December. Coincidence? We think not! December is a stereotypically happy month and from kissing under the mistletoe to cuddling up in front of the fire, everyone seems to be getting in the holiday spirit.
With its romantic reputation, December has even been shown to be the most popular month to get engaged. So when it’s cold outside and you’re feeling full of love and joy, getting into bed with someone you care about might not seem like the craziest idea after all!
What is it about winter?
Perhaps it’s not just down to the decline in temperature. Psychologists know that the colour red really grabs our attention (think signals for danger, fast food logos, etc.) AND studies have shown that the colour that most heterosexual men and women are attracted to is red, too.
Apparently this is due to it representing status and dominance when worn by men, and for more primal and biological reasons when worn by women. Either way, you can’t deny that red is a colour closely associated with Christmas, so perhaps it’s seeing candy canes, Father Christmas or Rudolph’s nose around every corner that’s getting us in the mood!
Smells like… Christmas?
As if seeing red wasn’t enough to turn us on, there are certain scents that can supposedly also have an effect on our frisky feelings. Pumpkin pie, for example, has been shown to increase blood flow to a man’s nether regions by 30 – 40%! Scientists speculate that this might even be down to the sweet and tempting notes of vanilla and cinnamon, both of which tend to give us all the festive feels.
It’s hard to argue with the evidence that winter has the potential to be a pretty sexy time for a lot of us. Back in 2012, Match.com reported a peak of three million emails sent by users during Christmas week and a Tinder report from 2017 showed an app crash on December 16th with almost half of their users unable to log in.
But I’m not ready for a baby!
That’s OK, too! We want you to be free to enjoy any and all of the festivities you want, without unplanned consequences. Not everybody wants babies – either right now or at all – and we think your choice should be respected. If you’re not looking to get pregnant, you should consider contraception. There are loads of potential options out there, and we’re confident that you’ll find one that works for you.
What contraception will work best for me?
Everybody is different, and so will be our reactions to various contraceptives. Before deciding on a contraceptive method, we recommend doing your research into what might suit you and your lifestyle best. It might be an idea to trial various contraceptives to see how well they fit into your life and routine.
Which contraceptive is most effective?
Contraceptive effectiveness generally depends on how reliably you take or use your contraception. Of course, contraceptives like the IUD, copper coil, injection and implant all work within your body and you don’t have to rely on remembering to take them. When it comes to contraceptive pills, however, it is important to take them correctly. For example, when you take Hana (a progestogen-only contraceptive pill) at the same time every single day without a break between packs, it is over 99% effective at helping to prevent pregnancy.
What if I do want to have a baby next year?
Yay for you! If you want to start a family in the new year, you’ll need to start thinking about how you stop taking your contraception. If you’re using a progestogen-only pill, you can just stop taking it. That’s the great thing about the mini pill – you can start and stop whenever you want. Your fertility should return to normal fairly quickly, so make sure you’re putting extra precautions in place (like using condoms) if you’re coming off the contraceptive before you want to get pregnant.
Of course, fertility is different for everyone. If you have any questions or concerns about your own fertility or how long it might take you to get pregnant, we recommend speaking to a medical professional, like a GP.
What should I do if I have unprotected sex and don’t want to get pregnant?
Like we said, the holiday season is brimming with festive joy, and you might find that your social calendar is considerably busier than usual and your schedule may be disrupted. Between that and trying to remember exactly which scented soap your nan likes best, contraception might slip your mind and you could experience contraceptive failure (forgetting to take your pill or the condom breaking) or even just make a human error. Accidents happen, and nobody is perfect!
In this instance, you can seek out the morning after pill. There are two types of morning after pill – those containing levonorgestrel and those containing ulipristal acetate. ellaOne, a ulipristal acetate-based emergency contraceptive, is 2.5x more effective than levonorgestrel and can be taken up to 5 days after unprotected sex and purchased online or over the counter in a pharmacy. It’s worth remembering that ellaOne is more effective the sooner you take it.
We do not recommend the morning after pill as a method of regular contraception. If you are trying to avoid pregnancy, we think it might be a good idea to look into other potential contraceptive options.
Find out more about Hana, a progestogen-only contraceptive pill.
REFERENCES
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181204-best-month-to-get-engaged-married-pregnant-and-divorced
https://aanos.org/human-male-sexual-response-to-olfactory-stimuli/
Hana® 75μg film-coated tablets contains desogestrel and is an oral contraception for women of child bearing age and people with uteruses to prevent pregnancy. Always read the instructions on the package leaflet carefully.
ellaOne® 30mg film-coated tablet contains ulipristal acetate and is indicated for emergency contraception within 120 hours (5 days) of unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure. Always read the label.
