Birth Control

Birth control, also called contraception, is any method used to prevent pregnancy. It allows you to choose whether or when to have a child.

Most women can become pregnant from the age when they start their menstrual periods until their late 40s or early 50s. During the many years before menopause, using birth control is key to avoiding an unplanned pregnancy.

Which birth control method should I use?

There are many different kinds of birth control. Each has its own pros and cons. Learning about all the methods will help you find the one that is right for you.

Available methods include:

• Hormonal methods - Such as the birth control pill ("the Pill"), shot, skin patch, and vaginal ring. The Mirena intrauterine device (IUD) (below) also contains a hormone. Hormone birth control works very well. It prevents pregnancy by stopping monthly egg production. It can also relieve heavy periods and cramping.
• Intrauterine devices (IUDs) - An IUD is placed in the uterus through the vagina and cervix. The IUD interferes with a sperm as it tries to reach and fertilize an egg. It can also stop a fertilized egg from implanting and growing into an embryo. IUDs work very well for 5 to 10 years at a time and are far safer than they were decades ago. The hormonal IUD (Mirena) can also help with heavy periods and cramping.
• Barrier methods - Such as condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, Lea's Shield, sponges, and spermicides. In general, barrier methods are less effective than IUDs or hormonal methods. To make a barrier work as well as possible, you use it with a spermicide. This kills any sperm that get past the barrier, before they can travel through the cervix. Unless you know that your sexual partner does not have any sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), use a condom every time you have sex.
• Fertility awareness (natural family planning) - Such as the calendar method. Natural family planning can work well if you and your partner are very careful. However, do not use fertility awareness if you need highly dependable pregnancy prevention. First, you pinpoint your fertile times of the month. (This means charting your body's "fertile" signs and your basal body temperature daily for at least 2 months.) On fertile days, you must not have sex or you must use a birth control method. If you are a sexually active teen or are not able to predict when you are fertile, you cannot count on fertility awareness to prevent pregnancy.
• Permanent birth control - Such as vasectomy or tubal ligation surgery, gives you permanent protection against pregnancy. (On rare occasion, vasectomy or tubal ligation does fail to prevent pregnancy.) However, it is only a good option if you are absolutely sure that you will never want to conceive a pregnancy.

Lifestyle - When choosing a method, first consider how well it works and whether it fits your lifestyle. For example, if you are a single woman who has no plans to raise a child on your own, you will want to use a highly effective birth control method.

Future fertility - When deciding about birth control, think about how soon, if ever, you would like to start a family. Although you can become pregnant after stopping any birth control method (or forgetting a few days of pills), some women take several months to become pregnant after using De