At 39, Rytz Portem no longer wants to have children, and last year she decided to get a contraceptive to prevent future pregnancies. Her choice: a contraceptive implant, the size of a matchstick, was placed under the skin of her upper arm.
She didn’t want oral pills because of their side effects, which she found included weight gain and mood swings.
“I'm so bad with remembering [my medications], and I've seen a lot of side effects from my friends and my sister-in-law,” she told Devex.
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
