What Birth Control Would be Best For Me?

What are you looking for in a birth control method?

• Effectiveness

1. Sterilization, a permanent procedure with less than 1% chance of pregnancy
2. The IUD, either copper or hormonal. Lasts for several years, as effective as sterilization
3. The Implant. Lasts for several years, just as effective as sterilization

• Long Term

1. Sterilization, permanent
2. The copper IUD, 12 years
3. Hormonal IUD, 5 years
4. The Implant, 3 years
5. The Shot, 3 months

• Hassle free, simple

1. Sterilization, one procedure with some recovery
2. The IUD, one procedure every few years with very little recovery
3. The Implant, one procedure every few years with very little recovery
4. The shot, one procedure every 3 months, some pain at site of the shot
5. The nuva ring, insert the ring once a month into your vagina
6. the patch, put the patch on your skin once a week
7. the pill, take one pill every day
8. internal condom, spermicide, sponge, insert into vagina before sex.

• No prescription

1. condoms
2. sponge
3. spermicide
4. the withdrawal technique
5. fertility awareness
6. the pill and other forms of birth control*

*in some countries

• No hormones

1. Sterilization
2. The copper IUD
3. condoms
4. sponge, diaphragm, cervical cap
5. the withdrawal technique
6. fertility awareness
7. breast feeding

• Cost*

1. withdrawal technique, free
2. fertility awareness, free
3. condoms, free at clinics about $1/each
4. breast feeding, free
5. spermicide $8/package
6. sponge, $9-15/package of 3
7. cervical cap, $60-75 (reusable until breaks)
8. diaphragm, $15-75 (reusable until breaks)
9. the pill, $15-50/mo
10. the patch, $15-80/mo
11. the ring, $15-80/mo
12. the shot, $35-100/3mo
13. the implant, $400-800/3yrs
14. IUD, $500-1,000/6-12 yrs

*may be able to get some for free depending on your insurance, where you live, or government programs

• Regulate periods

1. the combination pill, tends to make periods lighter, can be used to skip periods
2. progestin only mini pill, more effective at regulating periods but can’t be used to skip periods although it may cease your periods
3. nuva ring, tends to make periods lighter, can be used to skip periods
4. the patch, tends to make periods lighter, can be used to skip periods
5. the shot, gets rid of periods altogether but can make them worse the first few months
6. the implant, tends to make periods lighter, may cease periods altogether
7. the hormonal IUD, tends to make periods lighter, may cease periods altogether

• Acne treatment

1. Some brands of the pill, usually combination pills.

• Also protects against STIs

1. The Condom

(let me know if anything should be added to the list)