SHE Education: Contraception

Hormonal Contraceptives:

Hormonal contraceptives work by preventing release of an egg from your ovaries into your uterus, and may also make the uterus and "unfriendly" environment to sperm. While most women know about the birth control pill, there are other hormonal birth control methods that are now available.

Efficacy? How often do I need to take it? Do I need a prescription? Does this protect against STIs? Pros Cons

Oral Contraceptive ("the Pill")
contraceptive pill 92-99% Effective Must be taken daily Yes No Can regulate periods, can improve acne, lowers risk of ovarian cancer, ability to become pregnant returns quickly when use is stopped.

May cause side effects, may cause spotting the first 1-2 months of use, must remember to take every day at the same time.

Vaginal Ring
("Nuvaring")
contraceptive vaginal ring 95-99% Effective A new ring is inserted into the vagina each month Yes No Does not require a "fitting" by a health care provider, does not require spermicide, can make periods more regular and less painful, no pill to take daily, ability to become pregnant returns quickly when use is stopped.

Can cause vaginal discharge, may cause spotting the first 1-2 months of use.

Contraceptive Injections
image of syringe 99% Effective Must get shot every three months Yes No Each shot works for 12 weeks, helps prevent cancer of the lining of the uterus, no pill taken daily, can be used while breastfeeding.

May cause changes in your period, weight gain, depression, hair changes, skin rash, change in sex drive, may cause delay in getting pregnant after shots are stopped, some women may have side effects up to 6 months after stopping the shots.

Hormonal IUD (Intrauterine Device)
intreuterine device: looks like a T with a wire coming out of the bottom 99% Effective Must be inserted and removed by a health care professional. Effective for up to 5 years. Yes No Nothing to put in place before sex, no pill to take every day, may reduce period cramps and bleeding, ability to become pregnant returns quickly when IUD is removed, can be used while breastfeeding.

May cause lighter or fewer periods, can cause spotting between periods, rarely, wall of uterus may be punctured during insertion.

Emergency Contraception
(Plan B)
image of pills 89% Effective Take 2 pills together as soon as you can after unprotected sex No No Can lower the risk of pregnancy if taken within 5 days of unprotected sex, can be used while breastfeeding.

Side effects other than nausea are rare but can include vomiting, fatigue, headache, dizziness, and breast pain, the next period sometimes comes a few days early or a few days late, may cause spotting.

Nonhormonal Contraceptives:

Nonhormonal contraceptives prevent pregnancy by providing a barrier against sperm, or by interfering with sperm movement, or by creating an "unfriendly" environment for sperm. These methods do not use hormones, so they do not interfere with you natural reproductive cycle.

Male Condom
latex condom 85-98% Effective A new one must be used every time you have sex. No Yes Easy to buy in drugstores, can be put on as part of sex play, can help relieve early ejaculation, protects against many infections including HIV.

Latex allergy, loss of feeling, can break or slip off.

Female Condom
hands holding a female condom 79-95% Effective A new one must be used every time you have sex. No Yes Easy to buy in drugstores, can be put on as part of sex play, good for people with latex allergy, protects against many infections including HIV.

May be noisy, may be difficult to insert, may irritate vagina or penis, may slip out of place during sex.

Dental Dam
dental dam: essentially a rectangle of latex 85-98% Effective A new one must be used every time you have sex. No Yes Easy to buy in drugstores, can be put on as part of sex play, protects against many infections including HIV.

Latex allergy, loss of feeling, easy to accidentally flip it over.

Spermicides
tubes of spermicide 71-95% Effective (use with vaginal barrier increases effectiveness) Must be used every time you have sex. No No Easy to buy in drugstores, can be put in place as part of sex play, comes in many forms: cream, gel, foam, and inserts.

Using spermicide nonoxynol-9 may increase risk of HIV infection, may irritate vagina or penis, may be messy.

Diaphragm
84-94% Effective Must be used every time you have sex. Must be used with spermicide. Must be fitted by a health care provider. Yes No Can last several years, costs very little to use, may protect against some infections (not HIV)

Using spermicide nonoxynol-9 may increase risk of HIV infection, allergy to latex or spermicide, should not be used during vaginal bleeding or infection, can be left in place for no more than 24 hours.

Nonhormonal IUD (Intrauterine Device)
non-hormonal intreuterine device: looks like a T with a wire coming out of the bottom 99% Effective Must be inserted and removed by a health care provider. Effective for up to 10 years. Yes No Nothing to put in place before sex, no pill to take daily, ability to become pregnant returns quickly after IUD is removed, can be used while breastfeeding

May cause increase in cramps and longer and heavier periods, can cause spotting between periods, rarely, wall of uterus is punctured during insertion.