For the over-40 segment of the population, the idea of birth control is generally not at the top of the list.

Not surprisingly, it’s also this part of the population that is least likely to use birth control – and most likely to have an unwanted pregnancy. Some women who are approaching menopause or have not gotten completely through it may not consider birth control a necessity anymore but don’t realize they can still get pregnant.

Menopause is when a female’s ovaries stop producing eggs and is identifi ed by an absence of the menstrual cycle for 12 months. The average age for the onset is 51, but that varies from some who start in their 30s or as late as their 60s. Chances are whenever your mother experienced it is about the same time you will.

Prior to that, your body goes through a transition called perimenopause, when your menstrual cycle becomes irregular. After you get through that and have not had a menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months, then you no longer need to worry about birth control.

Before then, however, sexually active adults who might have previously thought their birth control options were limited to condoms and permanent sterilization can consider some improved 21st century options.

For men, the options are still somewhat limited but are growing, and for women, the more recent medical advancements are more safe and dependable than they’ve ever been since the pill fi rst came out in the 1960s.

Here’s the current rundown for women:

• The Pill: The new low-dose daily estrogen pill is a new take on the old favorite and can often also ease the symptoms of menopause.

• IUDs, Rings and Patches: Estrogenbased options such as NuvaRing are inserted into the vagina for three weeks and removed for one week and can also help regulate the menstrual cycle. Another popular choice is Mirena, an IUD that releases hormones and lasts for fi ve years.

• Progesterone: A Depo-Provera injection can be administered every three months, or for the long-term, the Implanon is a small rod inserted into the upper arm that lasts for years. These both use the hormone progesterone, instead of estrogen, and have the added benefi t of sometimes completely eliminating monthly periods.

• Non-Hormonal: The usual candidates that are still good for some include copper IUDS, spermicides, sponges, diaphragms, cervical caps and condoms. Keep in mind, however, none of these are as effective as the fi rst choices.

• Surgical Contraception: Excluding abstinence, your one-way tickets to no more pregnancies are tubal ligation and tubal occlusion. Both of these require a minor type of surgery and probably a few days of recovery, but they can be mostly worry-free after the procedure. Be aware they still aren’t 100 percent effective against pregnancy. It’s best to talk to your doctor about your options.

As for men over 40, there are the standard choices such as condoms and vasectomy, but let’s face it, neither of them are all that appealing, either. Luckily, some new options are arriving that might work as a backup plan or even as the single choice for a couple.

A male birth control pill has been developed and is being tested at the Population Center for Research in Reproduction at the University of Washington in Seattle. Scientists there said a male contraceptive in the form of a daily pill could be available on the market within fi ve years, pending approval U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and implants, similar to Norplant for women, could even arrive sooner.

The best thing to do, as always, is to talk to a doctor about the options available and what’s best for you.

– Eric Lincoln

ON THE HORIZON

A new technique being developed by The Parsemus Foundation involves a glue-like substance, Vasalgel, being injected directly into the vas deferens, where it solidifi es and adheres to the surrounding tissue. The polymer uses a pattern of polarization that destroys sperm through a polyelectrolytic effect, essentially having the effect of putting sperm through two huge, reversed magnets. The procedure takes less than an hour and lasts for 10 years. It is not yet FDA-approved, but in testing in India, it has been 100 percent effective.