From hormonal methods such as the pill to barrier methods such as condoms and diaphragms, there is a form of contraception that's right for almost every couple. Discuss birth control with your partner before becoming sexually active.
Hormonal Methods
The birth control pill is the oldest form of hormonal contraception, with many varieties available. It works by preventing a woman's ovaries from releasing an egg each month. Most oral contraceptives come in a pack of 28. Pills containing estrogen and progestin are taken every day for three weeks. On the fourth, the woman takes inert pills and has a period. There are now three-month pill packets available, in which an active pill is taken every day for 11 weeks before the inert pills are started. With these pills, a woman has a period only four times a year. Other methods of hormonal birth control are the vaginal ring, patch, Depo-Provera injection, and IUD. The adhesive patch is applied to the skin; the ring is inserted into the vagina. Both are left in place for three weeks. On the fourth week, they are removed and a period occurs. Depo-Provera, given every three months, may prevent periods from occuring at all. An IUD is a device inserted into the uterus through the cervix. It's made of copper and plastic, and releases hormones continuously for up to five years.
Barrier Methods
Condoms, perhaps the most widely used barrier method of birth control, are available in male and female varieties. Anyone having sex with a new partner should use a latex condom, not just for prevention of pregnancy but for prevention of disease. Male and female condoms are available, often free of charge. Your Planned Parenthood or community health clinic often dispense free condoms. Other barrier methods include the diaphragm, sponge and cervical cap. A diaphragm is a latex rubber cup about the size of your palm, which is lined with spermicidal jelly and inserted into the vagina before sex. A cervical cap, which is smaller and made of silicone, prevents sperm from entering the uterus in the same way as the diaphragm, and must also be used with spermicide. Diaphragms and cervical caps require fitting by a gynecologist. The sponge can be purchased over the counter. Nonoxynol-9, the active ingredient in spermicide, can cause irritation of the vagina in some women.
Emergency Methods
Emergency contraception, also known as the morning-after pill, is taken up to five days after unprotected sex. If an egg has been fertilized, emergency contraception prevents it from implanting in the uterus and leading to a viable pregnancy. Morning-after pills are available for purchase over the counter to people 17 and older, male and female. Girls younger than 17 should see a gynecologist to get a prescription. Emergency contraception is not as effective as birth control used before or during sex, nor does it prevent against sexually transmitted infections such as herpes or HIV. Another method of emergency contraception is to take several days worth of birth control pills at once--but consult your gynecologist for information on how to do this properly. Also effective, but more complicated, is the insertion of a Copper-T IUD within 72 hours after unprotected sex.
