How to Choose The Right Contraception For Your Lifestyle

About two-thirds of American women use some type of birth control to manage their wellness and their futures. Fortunately, there are many types to choose from. However, that means it’s easy to get confused.

At Feminine Urgicare, our team understands the importance of finding a birth control method that suits each woman’s individual needs, goals, and lifestyle. In this post, learn about the most common types of contraception, along with some tips to help you select the right method for your needs.

Lots of choices

Even though there are many methods to choose from, birth control is only effective if you use it correctly. The methods described below dramatically reduce the risk of pregnancy while suiting women’s preferences.

The pill

Birth control pills are among the most popular and most well-known contraceptives. Taken once daily, they’re one of the most effective methods for preventing pregnancy. 

Birth control pills use hormones that prevent ovulation, which means the egg doesn’t descend and, therefore, cannot be fertilized by sperm.

Intrauterine devices (IUDs)

IUDs are even more effective than birth control pills. Many women find the tiny, T-shaped devices to be more convenient. Inserted into your uterus, IUDs come in both hormone and hormone-free versions. These devices remain in place for many years before they need to be replaced during a simple in-office visit.

Contraceptive implants

Implants are highly effective, and like IUDs, once they’re in place, they require no interaction on your part. These tiny rod-shaped devices are inserted under your skin through a small puncture. Once in place, they release a steady stream of hormones that prevent conception. Most implants need to be replaced every three years.

Birth control patches

Birth control patches use a special adhesive to remain firmly attached to your skin. Patches release a steady stream of hormones, and you replace them every week. When used correctly, patches are about as effective as birth control pills in preventing pregnancy.

Injections

Birth control injections are administered every three months, delivering hormones over that period to prevent conception. 

Vaginal ring

The vaginal ring is a soft plastic-based device placed inside your vagina. The ring releases hormones over time and needs to be replaced every three weeks.

Diaphragm

Diaphragms are a barrier type of contraception, which means that instead of using hormones, they work by preventing sperm from reaching the egg. Diaphragms should be used with a spermicide product to enhance effectiveness.

Sterilization

Sterilization is a permanent form of birth control many women use once they’re done having children. It’s also the most commonly used type of contraception among American women. During sterilization, your fallopian tubes are blocked or severed, permanently preventing an egg from descending into your uterus. 

Finding the proper method for you

The choice of contraception is highly personal and based on factors that vary from one woman to the next. With so many options, the choice may seem confusing. But remember, with the exception of permanent sterilization, you can always change your method in the future.

A consideration when making a selection is deciding how much interaction you want to have with the selected method. Some women feel more in control when they use a method that requires regular “participation” — like taking a pill daily. Other women prefer a method that only needs to be tended to every few months or years.

Likewise, consider your family-planning goals. Women who plan on getting pregnant in the near future might want to avoid long-term methods, like IUDs or implants. Of course, women who want to avoid hormone products should consider methods that don’t use estrogen or progesterone.

The best way to select a contraceptive method is to schedule a visit with our team so you can ask questions and get plenty of information about the methods that interest you. To learn more, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Feminine Urgicare in Paramus and Clifton, New Jersey.