Birth Control 101
What is the best method of birth control?
All men and women need to have power over if and when they want to become pregnant. Making skilled and intelligent judgements about birth control, a.k.a. contraception, is not easy: there are many things to think about before you hop into the sack with your beloved. Not the most pleasant of subjects to read about but when you consider that the average cost of raising a child to age 18 is $180,000 please DO READ ON! Yes --- that is before any post-secondary education!)
Learning about birth control methods that you or your partner can use to prevent pregnancy and talking with your health care provider are two excellent ways to get started. There is no "best" method of birth control. Each method has its own pros and cons. Some methods work better than others do at preventing pregnancy. Researchers are always working to develop or improve birth control methods.
The birth control method you choose should take into account:
your overall health;
how often you have sex;
the number of sexual partners you have;
if you want to have children;
how well each method works (or is effective) in preventing pregnancy;
any potential side effects; and
your comfort level with using the method.
Keep in mind that NO SINGLE METHOD of birth control other than abstinence prevents pregnancy 100 per cent of the time. Birth control methods can and do fail. But you can greatly increase a method's success rate by using it correctly all of the time. The only way to be sure you never get pregnant is to not have sex at all.
What are the different methods of birth control that I can use? (Guy vs. Gal )
Keep in mind that most birth control does NOT protect you from HIV (AIDS) or other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like gonorrhoea, herpes, and chlamydia. Other than not having sex, the best protection against STDs and HIV is the latex condom. Other birth control methods that involve using a spermicide (a cream or jelly that kills sperm) also may give some protection against chlamydia and gonorrhoea.
Know that learning how to use some birth control methods can take time and practice. Sometimes health care providers do not explain how to use a method because they may think you already know how. For example, some people do not know that you can put on a condom “inside out.” Also, not everyone knows that you need to leave a "reservoir" or space at the tip of the condom for the sperm and fluid when a man ejaculates, or has an orgasm.
The more you know about the correct way to use birth control, the more authority you will have over deciding if and when you want to become pregnant.
Here is a list of birth control methods with estimates of effectiveness, or how well they work in preventing pregnancy when used correctly, for each method:
Continuous Abstinence -This means not having sexual intercourse at any time. It is the only sure way to prevent pregnancy. This method is 100 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy.
Periodic Abstinence or Fertility Awareness Methods - A woman who has a regular menstrual cycle has about nine or more fertile days, or days when she is able to get pregnant, each month. Periodic abstinence means you do not have sex on the days that you may be fertile. Fertility awareness means that you can be abstinent or have sex but you use a "barrier" method of birth control to keep sperm from getting to the egg. Barrier methods include condoms, diaphragms, or cervical caps, used together with spermicides, which kill sperm. These methods are 75 to 99 per cent effective at preventing unwanted pregnancy.
Keep in mind that to practice these methods; you need to learn about your menstrual cycle (or how often you get your period). You keep a written record of when you get your period, what it is like (heavy or light blood flow), and how you feel (sore breasts, cramps). You also check your cervical mucus and take your basal body temperature daily, and record these in a chart. This is how you learn to predict, or tell, which days you are fertile or "unsafe." You can ask your health care provider for more information on how to record and understand this information. This is very important, as this is a “shot gun” kind of method to use.
The Condom - Condoms are called barrier methods of birth control because they put up a block, or barrier, which keeps the sperm from reaching the egg. Only latex or polyurethane (because some people are allergic to latex) condoms are proven to help protect against STDs, including HIV. "Natural" or "lambskin" condoms made from animal products also are available (and are very pricey!) But lambskin condoms are not recommended at all for STD prevention because they have tiny pores that may allow for the passage of viruses like HIV, hepatitis B and herpes. Condoms can be 86 to 98 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy. Condoms can only be and should be used once. You can buy them at a drug store, from a machine or a corner store. Condoms come lubricated (which can make sexual intercourse more comfortable and pleasurable) and non-lubricated (which can also be used for oral sex). It is best to use lubrication with non-lubricated condoms if you use them for vaginal or anal sex. You can use KY jelly or water-based lubricants, which you can buy at a drug store. Oil-based lubricants like massage oils, baby oil, lotions, or petroleum jelly will weaken the condom, causing it to tear or break. Always keep condoms in a cool, dry place. If you keep them in a hot place (like a billfold, wallet, or, heaven forbid, your glove compartment), the latex breaks down, causing the condom to tear or break and you often cannot tell. There is a condom for females, it is less effective, really messy, and more expensive: feel free to try it out: it is more likely to slip as well: go for it if you want to try it!
Oral Contraceptives - Also called "the pill," it contains the hormones estrogen and progestin. A pill is taken daily to block the release of eggs from the ovaries. It also lightens the flow of your period and protects against pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ovarian cancer, and endometrial cancer. It does not protect against STDs or HIV. The pill may add to your risk of heart disease, including high blood pressure, blood clots, and blockage of the arteries. If you are over age 35 and smoke, or have a history of blood clots or breast or endometrial cancer, your health care provider may advise you not to take the pill. The pill is 95 to 99.9 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy if used correctly. You will need a prescription and visits with your health care provider yearly to make sure you are not having problems. If you use the pill you should still use condoms for safe sex. ALWAYS.
The Mini-Pill - Unlike the pill, the mini-pill only has one hormone, progestin, instead of both estrogen and progestin. Taken daily, the mini-pill reduces and thickens cervical mucus to prevent sperm from reaching the egg. It also prevents a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus (womb). The mini-pill also can decrease the flow of your period and protect you against PID and ovarian and endometrial cancer. Mothers who breastfeed can use it because it will not affect their milk supply. The mini-pill is a good option for women who can't take estrogen or for women who have a risk of blood clots. The mini-pill does not protect against STDs or HIV. Mini-pills are 95 to 99.9 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy if used correctly. You will need a prescription and visits with your health care provider yearly to make sure you are not having problems. If you use the pill you should still use condoms for safe sex. ALWAYS.
An IUD (Intrauterine Device) - An IUD is a small device that is usually shaped in the form of a "T." Your health care provider places it inside the uterus. The arms of the IUD stops fertilization by preventing sperm from making their way up through the uterus into the fallopian tubes. If fertilization does occur, the IUD would prevent the fertilized egg from implanting in the lining of the uterus. An IUD can stay in your uterus for up to 10 years. It does not protect against STDs or HIV. This IUD is generally 99 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy. Having an IUD still requires you to visit with your health care provider to make sure you are not having any problems with it and to make sure you are maintaining good gynaecological health. (I.e. no PID, cervical health problems or STDs.)
If you use an IUD you should still use condoms for safe sex. ALWAYS.
Depo-Provera - With this method women get injections, or shots, of the hormone progestin in the buttocks or arm every three months. It does not protect against STDs or HIV. It is 99.7 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy. Requires visits with your health care provider to make sure you are not having any problems and for the injections, of course! If you use Depo-Provera you should still use condoms for safe sex. ALWAYS.
Diaphragm or Cervical Cap - These are barrier methods of birth control, where the sperm are blocked from reaching the egg. The diaphragm is shaped like a shallow latex cup. The cervical cap is a thimble-shaped latex cup. Both come in different sizes and you need a health care provider to "fit" you for one. Before sexual intercourse, you use them with spermicide (to block or kill sperm) and place them up inside your vagina to cover your cervix (the opening to your womb). You can buy spermicide gel or foam at a drug store. Spermicide will also help protect you from the STDs gonorrhoea and chlamydia if they have nonoxynol-9 in them. Some women can be sensitive to nonoxynol-9 and need to use spermicides that do not contain it. The diaphragm is 80 to 94 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy. The cervical cap is 80 to 90 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy for women who have not had a child, and 60 to 80 per cent for women who have had a child. Requires a visit with your health care provider for proper fitting. This is not a good method if you are a “spontaneous” kind of girl who likes to have sex on the spur of the moment.
If you use this method you should still use condoms for safe sex. ALWAYS.
Nuva Ring is a once - a-month contraceptive that gives a lower dose of hormones, but is till highly effective. The ring releases the hormones for three weeks fter insertion and is removed for one week to allow menstration.
Surgical Sterilisation (Tubal Ligation or Vasectomy) - These surgical methods are meant for people who want a permanent method of birth control. In other words, they never want to have a child or they do not want more children. Tubal Ligation or "tying of the tubes" is done on the woman to stop eggs from going down to her uterus where they can be fertilized. The man has a vasectomy to keep sperm from going to his penis, so his ejaculate never has any sperm in it. It takes a while to be effective. They are 99 to 99.5 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy. This is not for young people (young as in under 30 to 35 years of age: no surgeon will ever, ever give it to you so don't even ask them, as they will laugh at you.
If you use an this method you should still use condoms for safe sex. ALWAYS.
Emergency Contraception - This is NOT a regular method of birth control and should never be used as one. Emergency contraception, or emergency birth control, is used to keep a woman from getting pregnant when she has had unprotected vaginal intercourse.
"Unprotected" can mean that no method of birth control was used. It can also mean that a birth control method was used but did not work - like a condom unfortunately breaking inside you.
Or, a woman may have forgotten to take her birth control pills, or may have been sexually abused or forced to have sex when she did not want to have sex.
This method can be between 75 to 99 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy.
But no method of emergency contraception protects against STDs or HIV, unfortunately.
You will need to visit your health care provider for either a prescription to make sure you are not having problems.
If you are in this situation, go to the Student Health Clinic in the New Student Centre or a walk in clinic as soon as possible so they can help you.
All men and women need to have power over if and when they want to become pregnant. Making skilled and intelligent judgements about birth control, a.k.a. contraception, is not easy: there are many things to think about before you hop into the sack with your beloved. Not the most pleasant of subjects to read about but when you consider that the average cost of raising a child to age 18 is $180,000 please DO READ ON! Yes --- that is before any post-secondary education!)
Learning about birth control methods that you or your partner can use to prevent pregnancy and talking with your health care provider are two excellent ways to get started. There is no "best" method of birth control. Each method has its own pros and cons. Some methods work better than others do at preventing pregnancy. Researchers are always working to develop or improve birth control methods.
The birth control method you choose should take into account:
your overall health;
how often you have sex;
the number of sexual partners you have;
if you want to have children;
how well each method works (or is effective) in preventing pregnancy;
any potential side effects; and
your comfort level with using the method.
Keep in mind that NO SINGLE METHOD of birth control other than abstinence prevents pregnancy 100 per cent of the time. Birth control methods can and do fail. But you can greatly increase a method's success rate by using it correctly all of the time. The only way to be sure you never get pregnant is to not have sex at all.
What are the different methods of birth control that I can use? (Guy vs. Gal )
Keep in mind that most birth control does NOT protect you from HIV (AIDS) or other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like gonorrhoea, herpes, and chlamydia. Other than not having sex, the best protection against STDs and HIV is the latex condom. Other birth control methods that involve using a spermicide (a cream or jelly that kills sperm) also may give some protection against chlamydia and gonorrhoea.
Know that learning how to use some birth control methods can take time and practice. Sometimes health care providers do not explain how to use a method because they may think you already know how. For example, some people do not know that you can put on a condom “inside out.” Also, not everyone knows that you need to leave a "reservoir" or space at the tip of the condom for the sperm and fluid when a man ejaculates, or has an orgasm.
The more you know about the correct way to use birth control, the more authority you will have over deciding if and when you want to become pregnant.
Here is a list of birth control methods with estimates of effectiveness, or how well they work in preventing pregnancy when used correctly, for each method:
Continuous Abstinence -This means not having sexual intercourse at any time. It is the only sure way to prevent pregnancy. This method is 100 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy.
Periodic Abstinence or Fertility Awareness Methods - A woman who has a regular menstrual cycle has about nine or more fertile days, or days when she is able to get pregnant, each month. Periodic abstinence means you do not have sex on the days that you may be fertile. Fertility awareness means that you can be abstinent or have sex but you use a "barrier" method of birth control to keep sperm from getting to the egg. Barrier methods include condoms, diaphragms, or cervical caps, used together with spermicides, which kill sperm. These methods are 75 to 99 per cent effective at preventing unwanted pregnancy.
Keep in mind that to practice these methods; you need to learn about your menstrual cycle (or how often you get your period). You keep a written record of when you get your period, what it is like (heavy or light blood flow), and how you feel (sore breasts, cramps). You also check your cervical mucus and take your basal body temperature daily, and record these in a chart. This is how you learn to predict, or tell, which days you are fertile or "unsafe." You can ask your health care provider for more information on how to record and understand this information. This is very important, as this is a “shot gun” kind of method to use.
The Condom - Condoms are called barrier methods of birth control because they put up a block, or barrier, which keeps the sperm from reaching the egg. Only latex or polyurethane (because some people are allergic to latex) condoms are proven to help protect against STDs, including HIV. "Natural" or "lambskin" condoms made from animal products also are available (and are very pricey!) But lambskin condoms are not recommended at all for STD prevention because they have tiny pores that may allow for the passage of viruses like HIV, hepatitis B and herpes. Condoms can be 86 to 98 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy. Condoms can only be and should be used once. You can buy them at a drug store, from a machine or a corner store. Condoms come lubricated (which can make sexual intercourse more comfortable and pleasurable) and non-lubricated (which can also be used for oral sex). It is best to use lubrication with non-lubricated condoms if you use them for vaginal or anal sex. You can use KY jelly or water-based lubricants, which you can buy at a drug store. Oil-based lubricants like massage oils, baby oil, lotions, or petroleum jelly will weaken the condom, causing it to tear or break. Always keep condoms in a cool, dry place. If you keep them in a hot place (like a billfold, wallet, or, heaven forbid, your glove compartment), the latex breaks down, causing the condom to tear or break and you often cannot tell. There is a condom for females, it is less effective, really messy, and more expensive: feel free to try it out: it is more likely to slip as well: go for it if you want to try it!
Oral Contraceptives - Also called "the pill," it contains the hormones estrogen and progestin. A pill is taken daily to block the release of eggs from the ovaries. It also lightens the flow of your period and protects against pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ovarian cancer, and endometrial cancer. It does not protect against STDs or HIV. The pill may add to your risk of heart disease, including high blood pressure, blood clots, and blockage of the arteries. If you are over age 35 and smoke, or have a history of blood clots or breast or endometrial cancer, your health care provider may advise you not to take the pill. The pill is 95 to 99.9 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy if used correctly. You will need a prescription and visits with your health care provider yearly to make sure you are not having problems. If you use the pill you should still use condoms for safe sex. ALWAYS.
The Mini-Pill - Unlike the pill, the mini-pill only has one hormone, progestin, instead of both estrogen and progestin. Taken daily, the mini-pill reduces and thickens cervical mucus to prevent sperm from reaching the egg. It also prevents a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus (womb). The mini-pill also can decrease the flow of your period and protect you against PID and ovarian and endometrial cancer. Mothers who breastfeed can use it because it will not affect their milk supply. The mini-pill is a good option for women who can't take estrogen or for women who have a risk of blood clots. The mini-pill does not protect against STDs or HIV. Mini-pills are 95 to 99.9 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy if used correctly. You will need a prescription and visits with your health care provider yearly to make sure you are not having problems. If you use the pill you should still use condoms for safe sex. ALWAYS.
An IUD (Intrauterine Device) - An IUD is a small device that is usually shaped in the form of a "T." Your health care provider places it inside the uterus. The arms of the IUD stops fertilization by preventing sperm from making their way up through the uterus into the fallopian tubes. If fertilization does occur, the IUD would prevent the fertilized egg from implanting in the lining of the uterus. An IUD can stay in your uterus for up to 10 years. It does not protect against STDs or HIV. This IUD is generally 99 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy. Having an IUD still requires you to visit with your health care provider to make sure you are not having any problems with it and to make sure you are maintaining good gynaecological health. (I.e. no PID, cervical health problems or STDs.)
If you use an IUD you should still use condoms for safe sex. ALWAYS.
Depo-Provera - With this method women get injections, or shots, of the hormone progestin in the buttocks or arm every three months. It does not protect against STDs or HIV. It is 99.7 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy. Requires visits with your health care provider to make sure you are not having any problems and for the injections, of course! If you use Depo-Provera you should still use condoms for safe sex. ALWAYS.
Diaphragm or Cervical Cap - These are barrier methods of birth control, where the sperm are blocked from reaching the egg. The diaphragm is shaped like a shallow latex cup. The cervical cap is a thimble-shaped latex cup. Both come in different sizes and you need a health care provider to "fit" you for one. Before sexual intercourse, you use them with spermicide (to block or kill sperm) and place them up inside your vagina to cover your cervix (the opening to your womb). You can buy spermicide gel or foam at a drug store. Spermicide will also help protect you from the STDs gonorrhoea and chlamydia if they have nonoxynol-9 in them. Some women can be sensitive to nonoxynol-9 and need to use spermicides that do not contain it. The diaphragm is 80 to 94 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy. The cervical cap is 80 to 90 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy for women who have not had a child, and 60 to 80 per cent for women who have had a child. Requires a visit with your health care provider for proper fitting. This is not a good method if you are a “spontaneous” kind of girl who likes to have sex on the spur of the moment.
If you use this method you should still use condoms for safe sex. ALWAYS.
Nuva Ring is a once - a-month contraceptive that gives a lower dose of hormones, but is till highly effective. The ring releases the hormones for three weeks fter insertion and is removed for one week to allow menstration.
Surgical Sterilisation (Tubal Ligation or Vasectomy) - These surgical methods are meant for people who want a permanent method of birth control. In other words, they never want to have a child or they do not want more children. Tubal Ligation or "tying of the tubes" is done on the woman to stop eggs from going down to her uterus where they can be fertilized. The man has a vasectomy to keep sperm from going to his penis, so his ejaculate never has any sperm in it. It takes a while to be effective. They are 99 to 99.5 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy. This is not for young people (young as in under 30 to 35 years of age: no surgeon will ever, ever give it to you so don't even ask them, as they will laugh at you.
If you use an this method you should still use condoms for safe sex. ALWAYS.
Emergency Contraception - This is NOT a regular method of birth control and should never be used as one. Emergency contraception, or emergency birth control, is used to keep a woman from getting pregnant when she has had unprotected vaginal intercourse.
"Unprotected" can mean that no method of birth control was used. It can also mean that a birth control method was used but did not work - like a condom unfortunately breaking inside you.
Or, a woman may have forgotten to take her birth control pills, or may have been sexually abused or forced to have sex when she did not want to have sex.
This method can be between 75 to 99 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy.
But no method of emergency contraception protects against STDs or HIV, unfortunately.
You will need to visit your health care provider for either a prescription to make sure you are not having problems.
If you are in this situation, go to the Student Health Clinic in the New Student Centre or a walk in clinic as soon as possible so they can help you.
