35 fertile years
The time span in which a woman can become pregnant is about 35 years (from the first menstrual period at the age of 11-15 to menopause at about 50). It’s a very long time, so it’s not surprising that women in the past could become pregnant an average of 15 times if they used no birth control.
Even today with our many effective contraceptive methods, 35 fertile years with an average of 1 to 2 children present a long period of “control”, during which it is quite possible that occasionally no contraception is used, or no effective contraception. Consistent use of effective contraception is further complicated by the fact that sexuality is not a rationally controlled action for most people. On the contrary, it is a moment when you want to forget everything else. This is also the reason that methods that interfere with normal sexuality, such as condoms, diaphragms, or “watchfulness”, often do not work or are not applied consistently. But even methods that require regularity (the pill, self-observation) are occasionally forgotten in everyday life over 35 years.
For these reasons, long-term reversible methods are enjoying increasing popularity (spiral, implant). They protect safely against unwanted pregnancies, allow spontaneous sexuality, and do not have to be taken regularly. The hormonal IUS is suitable for women in different life phases over their fertile years, and offers the additional advantage that monthly periods decrease or stop altogether.
In Austria, about 200,000 women are successfully using the hormone IUD to prevent menstruation. In Germany, almost one million women have opted for this method of contraception.