Effectiveness Risks or

Birth Control Method Description Benefits

Possible Problems

cc

‡ More regular
‡ Not effective
periods, reduced
against
Prescription drug cramping, and less
transmission of
containing female sex severe symptoms of
sexually
hormones; a woman premenstrual
transmitted
takes one pill daily for syndrome (PMS),
infections (STIs)
21 days; prevents such as headache,
‡ Rare but
ovaries from releasing fatigue, and
dangerous
an egg, thickens irritability
Birth Control Pill 95% complications,
cervical mucus to keep ‡ No action required
including blood
sperm from reaching an prior to sexual
clotting and
egg, and/or prevents intercourse, permits
hypertension,
the lining of the uterus sexual spontaneity
particularly in
from thickening so that ‡ Some protection
women over 35
a fertilized egg cannot against ovarian and
years who smoke
implant. endometrial cancer,
‡ Must be taken
noncancerous breast
daily
tumors, ovarian cysts
‡ Not effective
against STI
transmission
‡ Needs to be
Thimble-shaped latex 80% in women
fitted by a health-
cap inserted into a who have not
‡ Reusable care professional
woman's vagina over given birth;
Cervical Cap ‡ Can last for one to ‡ Difficult to fit
cervix to prevent sperm 60% in women
two years women with an
from entering uterus; who have given
unusual cervix
used with spermicide. birth.
size
‡ Difficult for
some women to
insert
Hormonal injection ‡ Not effective
‡ No action required
given by a health-care against STI
prior to sexual
professional in a transmission
intercourse, permits
woman's arm or ‡ Requires regular
Contraceptive sexual spontaneity
buttock; prevents 99% visits to a health-
Injection ‡ Effective for one to
ovaries from releasing care professional
three months,
an egg, thickens to administer the
depending on type
cervical mucus to keep injection
used
sperm from reaching an ‡ May cause
 egg, and/or prevents irregular
the lining of the uterus bleeding, weight
from thickening so that gain, sore breasts,
a fertilized egg cannot nausea, and acne
implant.
‡ Not effective
against STI
transmission
Skin patch worn by a
‡ Rare but
woman for 21 days on ‡ No action required
dangerous
the buttocks, stomach, prior to sexual
complications,
upper arm, or upper intercourse, permits
including blood
torso; releases low sexual spontaneity
clotting and
doses of female sex ‡ Regular use may
hypertension,
hormones; prevents result in shorter,
particularly in
Contraceptive ovaries from releasing more regular
95% to 99% women over 35
Patch an egg, thickens menstrual periods,
years who smoke
cervical mucus to keep while also decreasing
‡ Some
sperm from reaching an premenstrual
medications,
egg, and/or prevents cramping and
including
the lining of the uterus menstrual-related
antibiotics and
from thickening so that iron deficiency and
anti-seizure,
a fertilized egg cannot acne.
tuberculosis, and
implant.
migraine drugs,
can interfere with
effectiveness
Flexible ring inserted in ‡ No action required ‡ Not effective
a woman's vagina for prior to sexual against STI
21 days; releases low intercourse, permits transmission
doses of female sex sexual spontaneity ‡ May cause
hormones; prevents ‡ Regular use may vaginal irritation
ovaries from releasing result in shorter, and discharge
an egg, thickens more regular ‡ May cause
Contraceptive Ring 95% to 99%
cervical mucus to keep menstrual periods, irregular
sperm from reaching an while also decreasing bleeding, weight
egg, and/or prevents premenstrual gain or loss,
the lining of the uterus cramping and breast tenderness,
from thickening so that menstrual-related nausea, vomiting,
a fertilized egg cannot iron deficiency and headache, and
implant. acne mood change
Shallow rubber cup ‡ Not effective
with flexible rim against STI
‡ Reusable
inserted into a woman's transmission
Diaphragm 80% ‡ Can last for one to
vagina over cervix to ‡ Needs to be
two years
prevent sperm from fitted by a health-
entering uterus; used care professional
 with spermicide. ‡ Must be inserted
before each act of
sexual intercourse
Methods used by a ‡ Prevents pregnancy
‡ Emergency
woman after when primary birth
contraceptive
unprotected intercourse control fails during
pills: 79% to
to prevent fertilization sex (for instance, if
85% if taken ‡ Not effective
of the egg or condom breaks or
within 72 hours against STI
implantation of the diaphragm or
after transmission
Emergency fertilized egg in the cervical cap
unprotected ‡ Needs to be
Contraception uterus. Two methods dislodges); one or
intercourse prescribed by a
are available: more birth control
‡ IUD: 99% if health-care
emergency pills are skipped; or a
inserted within professional
contraceptive pills or woman is forced to
7 days of
emergency insertion of have unprotected
unprotected
an intrauterine device vaginal intercourse
intercourse
(IUD). against her will
Polyurethane sac
‡ Reduces the risk of
inserted into a woman's ‡ Lessens
many STIs
vagina over cervix to sensation
Female Condom 79% ‡ Available over-the-
prevent sperm from ‡ May break
counter
entering uterus; may be during intercourse
‡ Inexpensive
used with a spermicide.
Collection of
‡ Not effective
techniques used by a
against STI
woman, including
transmission
checking body
‡ Requires
temperature or cervical
commitment to
mucus daily or
consistently and
recording menstrual ‡ No medical or
Fertility Awareness accurately
cycles on a calendar, to 80% hormonal side effects
Methods monitor fertility
determine the days ‡ Inexpensive
‡ More than one
when body is most
fertility
fertile; abstinence or
awareness
the use of a barrier
method should be
method during this
used to improve
fertile period can
effectiveness
prevent pregnancy.
Six small capsules ‡ Most effective form ‡ Not effective
inserted by a health- of birth control after against STI
care professional under continuous transmission
Hormonal Implant the skin of a woman's 99.9% abstinence and ‡ Possible
upper arm; delivers sterilization surgery scarring or,
small amounts of sex ‡ Protects against rarely, infection
hormones to prevent pregnancy for up to at insertion site
 ovaries from releasing five years ‡ May cause
egg. ‡ No action required irregular
prior to sexual bleeding,
intercourse, permits headache, nausea,
sexual spontaneity depression
‡ Not effective
against STI
transmission
Small device inserted ‡ Effective one to ten
‡ May cause
by a health-care years, depending on
spotting between
professional into a type used
Intrauterine Device periods, longer,
woman's uterus; 96% ‡ No action required
(IUD) heavier periods,
prevents eggs from prior to sexual
and cramping
being fertilized and/or intercourse, permits
‡ Rare risk of
implanting in uterus. sexual spontaneity
uterine
perforation or
ectopic pregnancy
Sheath of latex, ‡ Reduces the risk of
‡ Lessens
polyurethane, or animal many STIs
sensation
Male Condom tissue placed on erect 86% ‡ Available over-the-
‡ May break
penis; may be used counter
during intercourse
with a spermicide. ‡ Inexpensive
Sperm-killing
chemicals in the form
of foams, creams, ‡ Available over the ‡ Only partially
jellies, films, or counter effective against
suppositories that are ‡ Can be used with STI transmission
Spermicide 74%
inserted into a woman's other methods to ‡ Possible
vagina to block the improve allergies or
cervix, preventing effectiveness irritation
sperm from fertilizing
an egg.
‡ Not effective
against STI
transmission
‡ Reactions to
‡ Permanently
Surgical procedure to surgery may
prevents pregnancy
permanently block a include infection,
‡ No action required
Tubal Sterilization woman's fallopian 99.9% bleeding, injury
prior to sexual
tubes to prevent eggs to intestine,
intercourse, permits
from reaching sperm. reaction to
sexual spontaneity
anesthesia
‡ Increased
chance of ectopic
pregnancy
 ‡ Generally
irreversible
‡ Not effective
against STI
transmission
‡ Reactions to
Surgical procedure to ‡ Permanently
surgery may
permanently block a prevents pregnancy
include infection,
male's vas deferens ‡ No action required
Vasectomy 99.9% blood clot near
(sperm duct) to prevent prior to sexual
testes, bruising,
sperm from reaching intercourse, permits
swelling, or
eggs. sexual spontaneity
tenderness of
scrotum
‡ Generally
irreversible
c