Pregnancy Prescription/ inserted within 5 to 7 days after you have Method Side Effects & Risks had unprotected sex. Rates (%)* OTC 291 Spermicides UTI, vaginitis, spermicide allergy OTC Hopefully, you’ll never need to use Choosing a emergency contraception. However, if you 126 (3 women who have had unprotected sexual intercourse or Sponge Polyurethane allergy, spermicide allergy, sulfa drugs allergy, TSS OTC Birth Control have had a you think your birth control method may baby)1 have failed, emergency contraception is a Method last-resort way to prevent a pregnancy. It is M5ale condom 1 1 Latex allergy OTC not to be used as a substitute for ongoing F1emale condom 2 1 ----- OTC birth control. D6iaphragm 1 1 Latex or spermicide allergy, UTI, TSS Prescription Experts recommend having a prescription 126 (3 for emergency contraception on hand (if not women who Cervical cap Latex or spermicide allergy, UTI, TSS, vaginal irritation or odor Prescription the actual pills) so that it is readily available have had a baby)2 should you ever need it. You can get emergency contraception, Plan B, directly L5ea's Shield 1 2 Abnormal bleeding or spotting, UTI, vaginitis Prescription from a pharmacist without a prescription. 0.81 If you do use emergency contraception, be IUD (copper) Heavy periods, irregular periods, painful periods, vaginal discharge Prescription sure to follow up with your health Irregular periods, vaginal discharge, headache, nausea, breast tenderness, I2UD (hormonal) 0. 1 Prescription professional to find an effective, ongoing depression, amenorrhea method of birth control. Headache, breast tenderness, nausea, irregular bleeding, missed periods, C8ombination pills 1 Prescription cardiovascular problems How can you get birth control? Continuous -dosing You need to see a doctor or other health Headache, breast tenderness, nausea, irregular bleeding, missed periods, p8ills 1 Prescriptions professional to: cardiovascular problems • Get a prescription for birth control pills More bleeding or spotting days than with combination pills, prolonged or and other methods that use hormones. Progestin- 81 irregular bleeding, missed periods, headache, breast tenderness, nausea, dizziness, Prescription only pills • Have an IUD inserted. acne, hirsutism, weight gain, anxiety, depression • Be fitted for a diaphragm or cervical cap. Abdominal pain, allergic reaction on skin, breast tenderness, headache, menstrual S8kin patch 1 Prescription cramps, nausea, cardiovascular problems You can buy condoms, sponges, and Headache, nausea, vaginal discharge, vaginitis, breast tenderness, irregular spermicides in drugstores without a V8aginal ring 1 Prescription bleeding, weight gain, heart problems prescription. Temporary loss of bone that increases the longer the product is used, irregular I3njection (DMPA) 1 periods, spotting, amenorrhea, headache, weight gain, anxiety, acne, hirsutism, Prescription Comparing birth control methods chart dizziness, delay in return to fertility Abbreviations: OTC, over-the-counter; UTI, urinary tract infection; TSS, toxic shock syndrome; IUD, intrauterine Irregular bleeding, amenorrhea, headache, acne, weight gain, dizziness, mood I5mplants 0.0 1 Prescription device; NA, not applicable. changes Trussell J. Contraceptive efficacy. In Hatcher RA, Trussell F5ertility awareness 2 1 ----- NA J, Nelson AL, Cates W, Stewart FH, Kowal D. Contraceptive Technology: Nineteenth Revised Edition. New F5emale sterilization 0. 1 Postsurgical complications NA York NY: Ardent Media, 2007. 2U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Birth Control Guide. http://www.fda.gov/ M5ale sterilization 0.1 1 Postsurgical complications NA fdac/features/1997/babytable.html What is birth control? method you are using. Some studies suggest • Whether it protects you from infection. pregnancy. A man can have a vasectomy, Birth control is any method used to prevent that female condoms are as effective as male Latex condoms can help protect you from or a woman can have her tubes tied (tubal pregnancy. Another word for birth control is condoms in preventing STDs. However, as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such ligation). But this is only a good choice if contraception. birth control, condoms used alone are not as HIV. But they are not the best way to you are sure that you don’t want any (or highly dependable. prevent pregnancy. To avoid both STDs any more) children. If you have sex without birth control, there and pregnancy, use condoms along with is a chance that you could get pregnant. How do you choose the best method? another type of birth control. What health issues might limit your This is true even if you have not started The best method of birth control is one that choices? having periods yet or you are getting close protects you every time you have sex. And If you are using a method now that you are Some birth control methods may not be safe to menopause. Each year, about 85 out of with many types of birth control, that not happy with, talk to your doctor about for you, depending on your health. To make 100 women who don’t use birth control depends on how well you use it. To find a other choices. sure a method is right for you, your doctor have an unplanned pregnancy. method that will work for you every time, will need to know if you: some things to think about include: What are the types of birth control? • Smoke. The only sure way to prevent pregnancy is • How well it works. Think about how There are many different kinds of birth • Are or could be pregnant. to not have sex. But finding a good method important it is to you to avoid pregnancy. control. Each has pros and cons. Learning • Are breast-feeding. of birth control you can use every time can Then look at how well each method about all the methods will help you find one • Have any serious health problems, such as help you avoid an unplanned pregnancy. works. For example, if you plan to have a that is right for you. heart disease, high blood pressure, mi- child soon anyway, you may not need a • Hormonal methods include birth control graine headaches, or diabetes. The best birth control methods are those very reliable method. If you don’t want pills, shots (Depo-Provera), the skin patch, • Have a family history of bone thinning that are easy for you to use (or are already children but feel it is wrong to end a the implant, and the vaginal ring. Birth (osteoporosis) or blood clots in the legs in effect) each time you have intercourse. pregnancy, choose a type of birth control control that uses hormones is very good (deep vein thrombosis) or lungs (pulmo- Follow up regularly with a health that works very well. at preventing pregnancy. nary embolism). professional to make sure that your birth • How much effort it takes. For example, • Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are inserted • Have ever had breast cancer. control method is working effectively for birth control pills may not be a good into your uterus. IUDs work very well for • Have a sexually transmitted disease. you. And if you have any side effects that are choice if you often forget to take medicine. 5 to 10 years at a time and are very safe. making it hard for you to use the method as If you are not sure you will stop and use a And the Mirena IUD contains a hormone Emergency contraception directed, choose a different method. barrier method each time you have sex, that can help with heavy periods and For hormonal or barrier methods to work pick another method. cramping. best, you have to use them exactly the way Before choosing and using a birth control • When you want to have children. For • Barrier methods include condoms, dia- your doctor or the package instructions say. method, be honest with yourself. If it failed example, if you want to have children in phragms, and sponges. In general, these Even then, accidents can happen. So it is a and you started a pregnancy, what would the next year or two, hormone shots may do not prevent pregnancy as well as IUDs good idea to keep emergency birth control you do? Are you ready to raise a child? Is an not be a good choice. They can make it or hormonal methods do. To help a barrier on hand as backup protection. You can buy abortion an acceptable option for you? hard to get pregnant for several months work better, use it with a spermicide, a “morning-after pills” called Plan B in most Answering these questions can help you after you stop them. If you never want to chemical that kills sperm. drugstores if you are over 18. know how committed you are to preventing have children, natural family planning is • Natural family planning (also called a pregnancy. It is worth it to use the most not a good choice because it often fails. fertility awareness) can work if you and Emergency contraception is the use of either effective birth control methods possible. • How much the method costs. For ex- your partner are very careful. You will a copper intrauterine device (IUD) or a ample, condoms are cheap or free in some need to keep good records so you know certain type of birth control pill on a specific When choosing a birth control method, also clinics. Some insurance companies cover when you are fertile. And during times dosing schedule. The pills can prevent a consider protecting yourself against sexually the cost of prescription birth control. But when you are fertile, you will need to skip pregnancy when taken up to 5 days after transmitted diseases. Condoms give the cost can sometimes be misleading. An IUD sex or use a barrier method. unprotected sex, although they are most most effective STD protection for both costs a lot up front. But it works for years, • Permanent birth control (sterilization) effective when used within 72 hours.