Birth Control 101

Here are some basics about various forms of contraception or birth control. Everything listed here requires an initial doctor visit, except condoms and the sponge. But even if you use condoms or the sponge exclusively, it’s always good to go to the doctor from time to time when you are sexually active, especially to get checked for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). For more in-depth information about these methods and others, check out Planned Parenthood’s website and Bedsider, a free support network for birth control.

• The pill: There are two basic kinds of birth control pills – some contain two kinds of hormones (estrogen and progestin) and some contain only one (progestin). If you're having trouble with one type of pill, talk to your doctor about trying a different one. Sometimes you need to try a couple of types to find the one that's right for you. The pill takes about a month to kick in so you need to use condoms (or another back-up method) during that first month. It’s important to take the pill every day as prescribed. If you miss a dose you’ll need to use condoms (or another back-up method) for the rest of the month. If you really take your pill every day, this is a very effective method.
  
  Watch a video of Dr. Eve Espey talking about the pill.
  
  Learn more about the pill on Bedsider, the free support network for birth control.
  
  
• The shot: Depo-Provera is an injection you get every three months. It is a very effective method and one of the main benefits is that there is nothing to remember on a daily basis.
• IUD: An IUD (intrauterine device) is a small, flexible plastic device put into the uterus by a doctor or health care provider. There are two types of IUD available in the US, Mirena and ParaGard, and both are among the most effective contraceptives available. Mirena contains hormones that prevent pregnancy and can stay in place for up to 5 years, while ParaGard contains copper instead of hormones and can prevent pregnancy for up to 12 years. Though an IUD is effective for years, you can also get it removed by a doctor at any time. More than 160 million women worldwide use this method, making it the most widely used type of reversible birth control in the world.
  
  Watch a video of Dr. Eve Espey talking about the IUD.
• The ring: NuvaRing is a flexible ring about 2 inches in diameter that you insert into your vagina. In a given one-month time period, you insert the ring, leave it in place for 3 weeks, remove it, and then insert a new one within 7 days. The ring is a hormonal birth control method that is as effective as the pill, but doesn’t require you to do anything on a daily basis.
  
  Watch a video of Dr. Eve Espey talking about the ring.
• The patch: The patch is a thin, beige, plastic patch that you stick on your butt, belly, arm or upper torso to prevent pregnancy. You use a new patch once a week for 3 weeks and then leave it off for the 4th week. Hormones from the patch are absorbed through your skin. It’s comfortable and you leave it on while showering, swimming, etc. until it’s time to change it. This method is very effective when the patch is placed on the skin on time.
  
  Watch a video of Dr. Eve Espey talking about the patch.
• The implant: Implanon is a small rod about the size of a matchstick, which is inserted into your arm by a doctor in a simple procedure that takes just a few minutes. It uses hormones to prevent pregnancy for up to three years, but can also be removed by a doctor at any time. This is among the most effective methods of birth control.
  
  Watch a video of Dr. Eve Espey talking about the implant.
• The diaphragm and cervical cap: These are both flexible cups that you insert into the vagina before each time that you have sex. In order for these methods to be as effective as possible, you need to also use spermicide with them. These are not hormonal birth control methods, but do require a clinic visit and prescription. Each of these methods comes in different sizes; your health care provider will help you find the correct size for you. If well taken care of, each diaphragm and cervical cap can last up to two years.
• The sponge: The sponge is a soft, round, foam sponge about 2 inches in diameter that you insert into the vagina before each time you have sex. It is a moderately effective method that contains no hormones. The sponge comes in one size, already contains spermicide, is only used once, and is available without a clinic visit or prescription. While the sponge should soon be available across the country in family planning centers, supermarkets, and drugstores, it can currently be purchased most easily online.
• Condoms: Condoms – and we’re talking about the male variety here – are available without any sort of prescription in drug stores and some other places too, such as family planning centers. Along with female condoms, they are the only form of contraception on the market that protects you from STIs, so even if you use the pill or the patch or the ring or the shot or something else, it’s good to use condoms, too. Condoms are an effective form of contraception when you use them carefully and correctly every time. Condoms are like seatbelts – you have to wear one every time. You can’t buckle up on a Monday and expect that to protect you on Friday.
• Female condom: The female condom is a pouch with flexible rings at both ends. It is inserted into the vagina just before having sex to prevent pregnancy and reduce the risk of STIs, and is more effective when used with spermicide or withdrawal. Just like the condoms that guys wear, this method must be used every time you have sex. The female condom is available at family planning clinics, drugstores, online, and in some supermarkets.
  
  Listen to an interview with the maker of the new female condom (FC 2).

Remember – it takes two people to get pregnant but only one person to prevent it. If one method isn’t working for you for whatever reason, there are other options out there. Find the one that works best for you.