Birth Control Options for Women - Introduction

Introduction

Contraceptives are devices, drugs, or methods for preventing pregnancy, either by preventing the fertilization of the female egg by the male sperm or by preventing implantation of the fertilized egg.

Contraceptive Options

Choosing the appropriate contraceptive is a personal decision. Contraceptive options include:

• Hormonal contraceptives (such as oral contraceptives, skin patch, vaginal ring, implant, and injection)
• Intrauterine devices (IUDs), which contain either a hormone or copper
• Barrier devices with or without spermicides (such as diaphragm, cervical cap, sponge, and condom)
• Fertility awareness methods (such as temperature, cervical mucus, calendar, and symptothermal)
• Female sterilization (tubal ligation, Essure)
• Vasectomy [For more information, see In-Depth Report #37: Vasectomy and vasectomy reversal.]

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The condom is the only birth control method that provides protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Determining Effectiveness

Contraceptive effectiveness is characterized by "typical use" and "perfect use":

• Typical use refers to real-life conditions, in which mistakes (such as forgetting to take a birth control pill at the right time) sometimes happen.
• Perfect use refers to contraceptives that are used correctly each time intercourse occurs.

The most effective standard female contraceptives are surgical sterilization, intrauterine devices (IUDs), and the implant. They all have an estimated failure rate of 1% or less during the first year of normal (typical) use. Vasectomy (male surgical sterilization) is the only male contraceptive that is equally effective. By comparison, the estimated failure rate of the male latex condom is 17% with typical use and 2% with perfect use. To put these rates into perspective, a sexually active woman of reproductive age who does not use contraception faces an 85% likelihood of becoming pregnant in the course of a year.

Review Date: 09/28/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).