Breaking Down Birth Control

Pills, patches, injections, condoms — to call the world of birth control confusing would be an understatement. But consider this: Family planning is considered one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century in the United States, so we consider the wide range of choices a good thing.

Here at Progressive Women’s Healthcare, our skilled team of providers routinely helps patients make sense of the vast world of birth control. In our experience, we’ve found that it helps to break down birth control into different categories to assist you in making the right decision for your needs and goals.

Barrier birth control

Let’s start with types of birth control that we call barrier options, which refers to the fact that they’re designed to prevent sperm from reaching, and fertilizing, an egg by blocking the way. Examples of barrier methods include:

• Condoms — both male and female
• Diaphragms
• Cervical caps
• Sponges
• Spermicides
• Copper intrauterine devices (IUDs)

Aside from the copper IUD, these methods are on-the-spot forms of birth control that you need to put in place before sexual intercourse.

It’s also worth mentioning that, of all the birth control options, condoms are the only ones that prevent sexually transmitted infections — except for abstinence.

Hormonal birth controls

Another way to approach family planning is by adjusting your hormones so your body doesn’t release eggs that can be fertilized. There are a number of different ways in which we can deliver these hormones, including:

• Pills
• Patches
• Injections
• IUDs
• Implants
• Vaginal rings

Choosing which method is best for you depends upon what sort of effort you want to make. For example, if you opt for oral contraceptives, you have to take a daily pill and you can’t afford to skip any as that can lower your protection rate.

If you're apt to forget a daily pill, a longer-acting hormonal method, like implants or IUDs, may be better. They last anywhere from 3-10 years.

A natural approach

If you want a purely natural approach to birth control and family planning, you have options here, too. For example, you can rely on fertility awareness, a technique in which you track your ovulation and plan your sexual intercourse accordingly.

You can also try outercourse — sexual activity outside your vagina — as well as the withdrawal method — the male withdraws his penis before ejaculation.

Practicing these more natural approaches requires vigilance on your part — and we should warn you that there's ample room for error. The only foolproof and natural way to prevent pregnancy is through abstinence.

Sterilization

If you’re sure you don’t want to have any(more) children, consider sterilization — either a vasectomy in men or tubal ligation in women. To give you an idea about the popularity of this approach, each year in the United States, about a half a million men undergo a vasectomy. 

We trust that we’ve provided you with a good start in describing the different approaches to birth control. To really narrow down your choices and find one that’s best for your lifestyle and needs, it’s best to discuss the options with one of our providers.

For help choosing a birth control method, please call our office in Atlanta, Georgia, at 404-383-7387 or click here to book an appointment online today.