Contraception Overload: A Guide To Birth Control Methods
When you hear safer sex, contraception commonly comes to mind to prevent pregnancy. However, choosing the best birth control method can be daunting since many options exist. But the confusion on which birth control is the safest or best for your body shouldn't keep you from practicing safe sex. If you are sexually active, it's pertinent to protect yourself and your partner(s) by making sexually healthy choices, including using birth control and condoms. There are so many options beyond hormonal birth control pills, so here at Lala's Bedtime Tales, we want to arm you with sexual health knowledge to make choosing the proper contraception to prevent unplanned pregnancies easier.
Questions To Consider When Choosing Contraception
When facing many options, especially regarding your health, be sure to do your research and thoroughly understand the impact of your choices on your overall health.
Therefore, when choosing the right birth control for you, make sure to think about the following:
Are you thinking about becoming pregnant in the future?
How important is it for you to prevent pregnancy right now?
How would you handle an unplanned pregnancy right now?
Do you have any personal or cultural values or beliefs that impact your choice of birth control?
What birth control methods have you used before, and what did you like or dislike about them?
How often do you want to use your birth control method? With every act of intercourse? Daily? Weekly? Every few months?
Are there any side effects or adverse effects that are concerning to you?
Are there any desired effects that you are looking for beyond contraception? Such as improved skin/less acne, or reduced menstrual bleeding?
When choosing a birth control method, it's essential to consider your fertility and childbearing future.
The Different Available Birth Control Options
Currently, many individuals are concerned about hormonal birth control pills and fear it causes weight gain, a decrease in libido, and mood disorders. Currently, there are many different options for birth control, so these fears shouldn't deter you from finding contraception to pair with condom usage to add an extra layer of protection to prevent pregnancy.
Your birth control options include:
Abstinence or "not right now."
Barrier methods. Examples include male and female condoms, the diaphragm, the cervical cap, and the contraceptive sponge.
Short-acting hormonal methods. Examples include birth control pills, the vaginal ring (NuvaRing), and skin patch (Xulane). These are considered short-acting methods because you must remember to use them daily, weekly, or monthly.
Long-acting hormonal methods. Examples include the copper IUD (ParaGard), the hormonal IUD (Mirena, Skyla, Kyleena, others) and the contraceptive implant (Nexplanon), and the contraceptive injection (Depo Provera). These are considered long-acting methods because they last for three to 10 years after insertion — depending on the device — or until you decide to have the device removed.
Sterilization. This is a permanent method of birth control. Examples include tubal ligation for women and vasectomy for men.
Spermicide or vaginal gel. These are nonhormonal options for birth control. Spermicide is a contraceptive that kills sperm or stops it from moving. Vaginal pH regulator gel (Phexxi) prevents sperm from moving, so they can't get to an egg to fertilize it. You put these products in the vagina right before sex.
Fertility awareness methods. These methods focus on knowing which days of the month you can get pregnant (fertile), often based on basal body temperature and cervical mucus. To avoid getting pregnant, you do not have sex on or around the days you are fertile or use a barrier method of birth control. The lactational amenorrhea method is highly effective while exclusively breastfeeding and before ovulatory cycles have returned. Withdrawal/coitus interruptus or pulling the penis out of the vagina before ejaculation is a commonly used method often paired with other options.
Life can become busy, or specific circumstances can cause you to forget to take proper pregnancy prevention measures. Emergency contraception is available when these contraception mishaps happen in life. Emergency contraception is available over the counter and by prescription — such as the morning-after pill (Plan B One-Step, Aftera, Ella, others) — which can be used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex.
Different Ways That Birth Control Prevents Pregnancy
Various types of birth control work in different ways. Birth control methods may:
Prevent sperm from reaching the egg
Inactivate or damage sperm
Prevent an egg from being released each month
Alter the lining of the uterus so that a fertilized egg doesn't attach to it
Thicken cervical mucus so that sperm can't easily pass through it
How-To Ensure Your Birth Control Method's Effectiveness
Any method of contraception must be used consistently and correctly to be effective. Contraceptives that require little effort on your part, such as IUDs, contraceptive implants, and sterilization, are associated with lower pregnancy rates. In contrast, methods that require monitoring fertility or periodic abstinence are associated with higher pregnancy rates. For instance: hormonal implants and IUDs have a typical use effectiveness rate of 99.6-99.9%, birth control pills are 93% effective with typical use, male condoms are 87% effective with typical use but could be 98% effective if used perfectly, and withdrawal has a typical effective rate of 80%.
The Reversibility of Birth Control Methods
The method of contraception you choose depends on your reproductive goals. If you're planning a pregnancy in the near future, you may want a method that's easily stopped or quickly reversible, such as a short-acting hormonal or a barrier method. If you're going to prevent pregnancy for longer, you may consider a long-acting method, such as an IUD. If you're confident that you don't want to get pregnant at any time in the future, you may prefer a permanent method, such as sterilization. You may find that different contraceptive options work for you at different stages of your life.
If you know you want to become pregnant someday, but not anytime in the near future, then a Long Acting Reversible Contraceptive may be a good choice for you. LARCs include injectable hormonal medication (Depo Provera), Intrauterine Devices or IUDs (Mirena, Skyla, ParaGard, Liletta, and others), and subdermal hormonal implant (Nexplanon). LARCs provide long-acting reversible contraception without having to worry about it every day. They require a visit to your health care provider for Depo Provera injection every 12 weeks or one appointment for insertion of IUD or implant. Follow-up visits to check on how the device is working for you and eventually to have it removed when you no longer want to use it are necessary too. These methods are easy to use, very effective, and rapidly return to fertility when discontinued. IUDs and implants have a rapid return to fertility, while it may take 3-12 months for fertility to return after discontinuing injections. There can be some irregular bleeding with these methods while the body adjusts, but often full or near amenorrhea is achieved.
Religious & Cultural Beliefs Impact On Choice Of Contraception
Some forms of birth control are considered a violation of certain religious laws or cultural traditions. Weigh the risks and benefits of a birth control method against your personal convictions.
The Convenience & Affordability Of Birth Control
It's essential to choose a type of birth control that suits your lifestyle. For some people, the most convenient form of birth control may be one that is easy to use, has no bothersome side effects, or does not disrupt the sexual experience. For others, convenience means no prescription is required. When choosing a method of birth control, consider how willing you are to plan ahead or follow a rigid medication schedule. Some methods of contraception are inexpensive, while others are more costly. Ask your insurance provider about your coverage, and then consider the expense as you decide.
Birth Control Doesn't Protect Against Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Male and female condoms are the only methods of birth control that offer reliable protection from sexually transmitted infections. Unless you are in a mutually monogamous relationship and have been tested for sexually transmitted infections, use a new condom every time you have sex, in addition to any other method of birth control you use.
Benefits Of Birth Control Besides Pregnancy Prevention
In addition to preventing pregnancy, some contraceptives provide benefits such as more predictable, lighter menstrual cycles, a decreased risk of sexually transmitted infections, or a reduced risk of some cancers. If these benefits are essential to you, they may influence your choice of birth control option.
Communicate With Your Intimate Partner(s) About Contraception
When choosing a birth control method, you should also consider if it's an acceptable form of contraception for your sexual partner(s). Your partner may have birth control preferences similar to or different from yours. Discuss birth control options with your partner to help determine which method is acceptable to both of you.
Choosing The Birth Control That's Right For You
The best method of birth control for you is one that is safe, that you are comfortable using, and that you can use consistently and correctly. Your preferred method of birth control may change over your lifetime and is influenced by many different factors, including:
Your age and health history
Your reproductive goals, such as the number of children you want and how soon you want to get pregnant
Relationship factors, including marital status, number of sexual partners, how often you have sex, and partner preferences
Religious beliefs and lifestyle
Differences between birth control methods, including how effective they are at preventing pregnancy, side effects, cost, and whether they prevent sexually transmitted infections
Knowing your options is definitely part of the decision process — but an honest assessment of yourself and your relationships is just as important when deciding which type of birth control is right for you.
When choosing the best contraceptive method for you, think about how you feel about planning for sex, inserting a birth control method in your body, tracking your fertile days and body signs, or ending your ability to conceive children.
Geographic location, parenting status, and socio-economic status are factors in contraceptive choice. For instance, injectable contraception may be your preference and a good choice in alignment with your medical history. Still, if you cannot return every three months to the clinic for the injection because of inadequate transportation or childcare issues, you may have a lapse in contraceptive effect.
Helpful Resources:
Contraceptive Effectiveness in the United States | Guttmacher Institute
All Birth Control Options | Types Of Birth Control | Learn More (bedsider.org)
Birth Control Methods & Options | Types of Birth Control (plannedparenthood.org)
Birth Control: Forms, Options, Risks & Effectiveness (clevelandclinic.org)
September is Sexual Health Awareness Month! Contraception plays a pertinent role in your sexual health practices and part of Lala's Bedtime Tales mission is to provide a safe space and judgment-free zone to educate yourself on sexual health & wellness. The Sexual Health & Wellness corner will have monthly articles dedicated to continuous education on living a positive and sexually healthy lifestyle. Subscribe to Lala's Bedtime Tales Newsletter and follow @LalasBedtimeTales on social media to never miss any sexual education to help you live the healthiest life possible. Also, check out the Lala's Bedtime Tales Podcast and Lala's Oh So Exclusive Patreon account for even more content! If you’re browsing for sexy pleasure products or cute giftable items, then check out Lala’s Pleasure Shop.
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