Birth Control

Choosing birth control can be tough, because no birth control is perfect. We can help you choose the type that is right for you.

Questions and answers about Birth control

We want to make the best decision for you so it is important to be aware of same important facts:

• No birth control works 100 percent perfectly all the time, but some prevent pregnancy better than others.
• There are methods whose effectiveness depends on you. For example, women who use birth control pills must take them every day.
• Every method can have its side effects or downsides
• Some types of birth control are permanent, meaning they prevent you from ever getting pregnant. Other types of birth control prevent pregnancy only for a limited amount of time. After that time, you can still get pregnant.
• Only male and female condoms can reduce your chance of getting certain infections called “STDs” (sexually transmitted diseases).

Methods available to help prevent pregnancy:

Barrier methods of birth control
Hormonal birth control
Intrauterine devices
Long-acting methods of birth control
Emergency contraception
Sterilization for women
Vasectomy

Some women and their partners cannot or choose not to use the birth control methods mentioned above due to religious or cultural reasons. Fertility-awareness based methods for preventing pregnancy are based upon the physiological changes during the menstrual cycle. These methods involve identifying the fertile days of the menstrual cycle using a combination of cycle length and physical manifestations of ovulation (change in cervical secretions, basal body temperature) and then avoiding sexual intercourse or using barrier methods on those days.