Birth control, or contraception, means using medicines, devices or surgery to prevent pregnancy. There are many kinds. Some can be reversed; others are permanent. Some also help protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Barrier methods
| Method | What it is | Protects against STIs? |
|---|---|---|
| Male condom | a thin sheath over the penis that collects sperm | yes, if made of latex or polyurethane |
| Female condom | a thin, flexible plastic pouch, partly inserted into the vagina before sex so sperm cannot enter the uterus — the womb, where a baby grows during pregnancy | yes |
| Contraceptive sponge | a small sponge placed in the vagina over the cervix (the opening of the uterus); it contains spermicide | — |
| Spermicide | a substance that kills sperm, as a foam, jelly, cream, suppository or film, placed in the vagina near the uterus; used alone or with a diaphragm or cervical cap | — |
| Diaphragm and cervical cap | cups placed in the vagina over the cervix, sometimes with spermicide | — |
Diaphragms and cervical caps come in different sizes, so a health care provider needs to help find the one that fits.
Hormonal methods
| Method | How it is used |
|---|---|
| The pill (oral contraceptives) | taken every day; contains progestin alone, or progestin and estrogen |
| Patch | worn on the skin, changed each week; releases hormones into the bloodstream |
| Vaginal ring | a thin, flexible ring inserted into the vagina, where it releases hormones for three weeks; it comes out for the fourth week, and then a new ring goes in |
| Injection | a hormone shot at the provider's office every three months |
| Implant | a single thin rod placed under the skin of the upper arm at the provider's office; it can last four years |
Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC)
The intrauterine device (IUD) is a small T-shaped device a provider places in the uterus, in the office. There are hormonal and copper IUDs, and they can last from 3 to 10 years.
Sterilization
Both are surgery, and both are permanent:
- Tubal ligation stops a woman from becoming pregnant.
- Vasectomy stops a man from getting someone pregnant.
Methods without medicines, devices or surgery
| Method | How it works | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Fertility awareness, also called natural rhythm methods | track the woman's fertility cycle and, on the days pregnancy is most likely, avoid sex or use a barrier method | may lead to more pregnancies than other methods |
| Lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) | for breastfeeding mothers: feeding the baby only breast milk, for up to six months, with no periods or spotting in that time | — |
| Withdrawal | the penis is pulled out of the vagina before ejaculation | sperm can leak out beforehand, so pregnancy rates are higher than with other methods |
Emergency contraception
Emergency contraception is not a regular method, but it can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or when a condom breaks. There are two kinds:
- a copper IUD, placed by a provider within 120 hours of unprotected sex;
- emergency contraceptive pills, hormonal pills taken as soon as possible afterwards.
Choosing a method
Questions worth asking:
- Do you want children one day — and how soon?
- Do you have any health conditions?
- How often do you have sex, and with how many partners?
- Do you also need protection from HIV and other STIs?
- How well does the method work, and what are its side effects?
- Will you be able to use it correctly every time?
- What does it cost?
A health care provider can go through these questions and help find the method that suits you.
Sources
Based on "Birth Control," MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine, with content from the NIH's National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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