Preferred Consumer | Healthy Living | Family Health | Reproductive Health, Pregnancy | Birth Control 



Birth Control

There is no one "best" method of birth control. The method that works for you may not work for someone else. The method you choose depends on your age, your health, how often you have sex, how many sex partners you have, and if you want to have children. The only 100% effective birth control method is to not have sex.

Cervical Cap

  • What is it: The cervical cap is a small, soft rubber cup with a round rim that fits closely around the cervix. The doctor or nurse fits you for a cervical cap. You can only get the cap with a prescription.
  • How it works: The cervical cap is used with a spermicide (a cream or jelly that kills sperm). Before you have sex, you squeeze the spermicide from a tube into the cervical cap. Then you put the cap into the back of the vagina and cover the cervix. This keeps the sperm from getting into the cervix and uterus. Once in place, the cap can be left in for up to 48 hours. You may have sex more than once during that time as long as the cap is in place.
  • Side Effects: There are no bad side effects from the cervical cap. Some women may have trouble putting the cap into their vagina and fitting it over the cervix. Remember to take your cervical cap out. You can get an infection if the cap is left in your vagina for over 48 hours.

Condom

  • What is it: A condom is a sheath (covering) that is put over an erect penis. Most condoms are made of latex rubber and some have spermicide (cream that kills sperm) on them. You do not need to see a doctor or have a prescription to get condoms. You can get them from the drug store.
  • How it works: The condom is put over an erect penis before sex. There is empty space at the tip of the condom to hold the sperm and keep it from going into a woman's vagina or cervix. You cannot use the same condom more than one time. So be sure to use a new condom each time you have sex. Do not put Vaseline jelly, hand lotions, or massage or baby oils on condoms, because they can weaken the condom. Using condoms when you have sex is the best way to keep from getting and/or passing STDs, including HIV/AIDS.
  • Side effects: There are no bad side effects from condoms.

Female Condom

  • What is it: The female condom looks a little like the male condom. It is a sheath (covering) that goes into a woman's vagina. You do not need to see a doctor or have a prescription to get a female condom.
  • How it works: The closed end of the female condom is put into a woman's vagina and the open end is left outside of the vagina, covering the vaginal lips or labia. It should be put on before sex and used only once. Each time you have sex, you need another female condom. Do not use a female condom with a male condom. They may not stay in place together. The female condom helps prevent STDs, but it is not as effective as the male condom.
  • Side effects: There are no bad side effects from female condoms.

Dental Dam

  • What is it: The dental dam is a square piece of rubber that is put over the vaginal lips (labia) or over the anus.
  • How it works: The dental dam is put over the vaginal lips or over the anus before a person has oral or anal sex. It can help prevent STDs (including HIV/AIDS) from spreading.
  • Side effects: There are no bad side effects from the dental dam.

Diaphragm

  • What is it: The diaphragm is somewhat larger than the cervical cap, but works in the same way. It is a soft rubber cup with a round rim that fits inside the vagina and covers the cervix. The doctor or nurse fits you for a diaphragm. You can only get the diaphragm with a prescription.
  • How it works: The diaphragm is used with a spermicide (a cream or jelly that kills sperm). Before sex, you squeeze spermicide from a tube into the diaphragm. Then you put the diaphragm into the back of your vagina so that it covers the cervix. This keeps the sperm from getting into the cervix and uterus. Leave the diaphragm in for six hours after you have sex. If you have more sex during the six hours, be sure to put more spermicide into your vagina.
  • Side effects: There are no bad side effects from the diaphragm. Some women may have trouble putting the diaphragm into their vagina and fitting it over the cervix. Remember to take the diaphragm out after six hours. You can get an infection if you leave your diaphragm in your vagina over 24 hours.

Vaginal Spermicides

  • What is it: Spermicides kill sperm. Vaginal spermicides come in foam, cream, jelly, film, suppository, and tablet forms.
  • How it works: A woman puts a spermicide into her vagina before sex to kill sperm and keep from getting pregnant. Doctors say that spermicides work best when used with other methods of birth control such as a diaphragm, cervical cap, or condom. Be sure to read the instructions on your spermicides. Some products tell you to wait 10 minutes or more after putting in the spermicide before you have sex. More spermicide must be put into the vagina each time you have sex. Leave the spermicide in for six to eight hours after sex. Do not douche or rinse out your vagina during this time.
  • Side effects: There are no bad side effects from vaginal spermicides. However, some women are allergic to the chemicals in spermicides.

The Pill

  • What is it: The birth control pill is made up of estrogen and progestin (female hormones). A woman must take her birth control pill every day to keep from getting pregnant. She needs to have a check-up and talk to her doctor before taking birth control pills. You can only get birth control pills with a prescription.
  • How it works: The pill works by keeping a woman from ovulating (releasing an egg from her ovary each month).
  • Side effects: There are good and bad side effects from the birth control pill. Good side effects may include having more regular periods, and having less chance of getting ovarian and endometrial cancer and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Bad side effects may include more chance of getting heart disease, high blood pressure, blood clots, and blocked arteries. Other more minor side effects include feeling sick to your stomach, headaches, sore breasts, weight gain, irregular bleeding, and depression. Many of these minor side effects go away after a few months on the pill. Women who smoke, are over 35, or have a history of blood clots or breast or endometrial cancer should not take the pill.

The Minipill

  • What is it: The minipill is another kind of birth control pill. It has only one hormone in it, progestin. It must be taken every day. A woman needs to have a check-up and talk to her doctor before taking the minipill. You can only get the minipill with a prescription.
  • How it works: The minipill works by changing a woman's cervical mucus, making it harder for the sperm to reach the egg; and by changing the lining of the uterus to keep the egg from implanting in the uterus.
  • Side effects: Because minipills do not have estrogen, they tend to have milder side effects than other birth control pills. The good side effects may include less bleeding and cramping during your period; and lowering your chances of getting endometrial and ovarian cancer, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Mild side effects of minipills include changes in your period, missed periods, weight gain, and sore breasts.

Depo-Provera

  • What is it: Depo-Provera is a birth control method that is injected (given as a shot) by a doctor into a woman's bottom or arm muscle every three months.
  • How it works: Depo-Provera uses the female hormone, progestin, to prevent ovulation; changes the cervical mucus to keep the sperm from reaching the egg; and changes the lining of the uterus to keep the egg from implanting in the uterus.
  • Side effects: Side effects may include irregular or missed periods, weight gain, and sore breasts.

Norplant

  • What is it: Norplant is a birth control method that is put into a woman's arm. A doctor does an operation to put small, matchstick-sized rods under the skin of the upper arm.
  • How it works: Norplant works as the rods slowly release a hormone that keeps women from getting pregnant for three to five years. Norplant works like the minipill. It changes a woman's cervical mucus, making it harder for the sperm to reach the egg; and by changing the lining of the uterus to keep the egg from implanting in the uterus.
  • Side effects: Side effects may include changes in a woman's period, weight gain, and sore breasts. Some women may get an infection at the site of the implant.

Intrauterine Device (IUD)

  • What is it: An IUD is a T-shaped device that a doctor puts into a woman's uterus. Some IUDs must be replaced every year, while other IUDs can stay in a woman's uterus for up to 10 years. The IUD is a birth control method that is best for people who have one sex partner over the long term and are not at risk for STDs and HIV/AIDS.
  • How it works: Doctors believe that IUDs work by keeping sperm and egg from meeting.
  • Side effects: Side effects may include more bleeding and cramping during your period; perforation of the uterus (the IUD pokes a hole in the uterus); and more chance of infections, including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The Dalkon Shield IUD was taken off the market in 1975 because it caused so many infections and problems for women. Today, these serious problems from IUDs are rare.

Tubal Ligation

  • What is it: Tubal ligation ("getting your tubes tied") is a surgical method of birth control for women. This is a permanent method of birth control and is for women who do not want any or anymore children. Talk to your doctor about tubal ligation. It is a serious decision.
  • How it works: A doctor operates on a woman's fallopian tubes to keep her egg from going down to her uterus.
  • Side effects: Side effects may include infection, bleeding, and problems from general anesthesia.

Vasectomy

  • What is it: Vasectomy is a surgical method of birth control for men. This is a permanent method of birth control and is for men who do not want any or anymore children. Talk to your doctor about a vasectomy. It is a serious decision.
  • How it works: A doctor operates on a man's vas deferens (a tube which takes sperm from the testicle to the penis) to keep the sperm from going to the penis.
  • Side effects: Side effects may include bleeding or infection after the operation.

Natural Family Planning/Fertility Awareness

  • What is it: Natural family planning/fertility awareness are methods of birth control that use a woman's menstrual cycle to predict when she is likely to get pregnant and when she is not likely to get pregnant. Many people use natural family planning as their method of birth control for health and/or religious reasons.
  • How it works: Natural family planning means that a man and woman do not have sex on days when a woman is most fertile (when she is most likely to get pregnant). Some people use a calendar to count the days before and after ovulation, other people use a thermometer to track when a woman is most fertile, and others check changes in a woman's cervical mucus.
  • Side effects: There are no side effects from these methods.

Withdrawal

  • What is it: Withdrawal is a birth control method that requires the man to pull his penis out of the woman's vagina before he has an orgasm.
  • How it works: Withdrawal means that the man pulls his penis out of the woman's vagina before he has an orgasm and releases his sperm. Some sperm can leak out of the penis before orgasm, so this is not a very effective method of birth control.
  • Side effects: There are no side effects from withdrawal.