How Many Types of Birth Control??
- Victoria Johnson
- Oct 18, 2015
- 8 min read
Everyone’s heard of “The Pill” and condoms, but did you know that in total, there are over ten different birth control options available to you? While not all of these protect against both pregnancy and STDs, it’s good to be familiar with your options. Here’s a quick guide to the choices accessible to you:
1. Birth Control Pills
Also known as: The Pill
What is it?
Birth control pills are medication women can take daily to prevent pregnancy. They’re sometimes referred to as Oral Contraception. Birth control pills are comprised of the hormones estrogen and progestin, which are used to prevent pregnancy.
The pill works by keeping the eggs from leaving the ovaries, as pregnancy cannot occur if there’s no egg to be fertilized by sperm. It can also make the cervical mucus thicker, which keeps the sperm from getting to the eggs. A doctor needs to prescribe this medication in order for you to obtain it.
How effective is it?
Less than one in 100 women get pregnant after the first year of taking the pill if they take the pill each day at the appropriate time as directed. About nine in one hundred women get pregnant each year if they don’t take the pill each day as instructed. They can also help alleviate menstrual cramps and acne, and decrease period flow.
Certain medicines and supplements make the pill slightly less effective, such as certain antibiotics, some antifungals, HIV medications, anti-seizure medications, and St. John’s wort. It is also important to note while the Pill is very efficient at preventing pregnancy, it does not provide any protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
What are the popular types?
Seasonique, Jolessa, Yaz, Yazmin, Lo Loestrin Fe, Minastrin, Beyaz, Ocella, Safyral, to name just a few. These are the more popular brands, and they all have generic counterparts that are cheaper.
2. Progestin-Only Pills
Also known as: POPs
What is it?
Like standard birth control pills, POPs are oral contraception that can be taken daily to avoid pregnancy. However, POPs are comprised of only progestin; they don’t contain estrogen. This is a popular alternative to the pill for women who cannot have estrogen, or for women who are breastfeeding. This pill works by thickening the mucus membrane to prevent sperm from reaching eggs. Talk to your doctor about whether the Pill or POPs are right for you, as a doctor needs to prescribe this medication in order for you to obtain it.
How effective is it?
If you are taking the POP within six months after giving birth, POPs are nearly 100% effective. Otherwise, about nine in 100 women get pregnant after the first year if they are taken properly. The same medicines that interfere with the standard pill can also interfere with POPs. And, again, like the standard pill, POPs only prevent pregnancy, not STDs.
What are the popular types?
Camila, Heather, Jolivette, Nora-BE. There are not as many POP brands as there are with the traditional birth control, but there are several types available, the aforementioned being the most popular. And again, there are generic types that are slightly cheaper.
3. Intrauterine Device
Also known as: IUDs
What is it?
IUDs are small plastic devices that are t-shaped. They’re inserted into the uterus by a doctor, and they either contain hormones or are wrapped in copper. They can remain in the uterus for three to ten years, depending on the type and brand.
The hormonal IUDs work by releasing estrogen and progestin to prevent pregnancy. The copper within the other type is toxic to sperm, so it kills sperm that enters the uterus or fallopian tubes. A doctor needs to prescribe this medication in order for you to obtain it, and they also need to be the one to insert it.
How effective is it?
Regardless of the type of IUD that you utilize, less than one in one hundred women per year get pregnant when using IUDs. They provide no protection against STDs; however, hormonal IUDs can also be helpful at reducing uterine bleeding and cramping.
What are the popular types?
ParaGard, Mirena, Skyla, and Liletta are commonly suggested by doctors.
4. Vaginal Rings
Also known as: V-rings
What is it?
Vaginal rings are small, flexible rings that are comprised of plastic and include estrogen and progestin. A woman who uses a v-ring inserts the ring into the vagina once a month to help prevent pregnancy. It’s left in place for three weeks, and are taken out for the last week of the month, and then replaced. A doctor needs to prescribe this medication in order for you to obtain it. A doctor does not need to insert it, though.
How effective is it?
For every one hundred women who use v-rings each year, about nine of them will become pregnant by the end of the year if they use them adequately. For women who use certain medications to treat tuberculosis, and supplements like St. John’s Wort, v-rings might be slightly less effective.
What are the popular types?
Estring, Femring, Progering, and NuvaRing are the most popular types.
5. Contraceptive Sponges
Also known as: Sponges
What is it?
Contraceptive sponges are soft, disk-shaped sponges made up of polyurethane foam that contains spermicide. They are inserted into the vagina over the cervix before intercourse. The spermicide that the sponge contains blocks or kills sperm to prevent pregnancy. A doctor does not need to prescribe this usage.
How effective is it?
The sponge is completely ineffective if not situated over the cervix. About eleven in one hundred women who consistently use sponges during intercourse will get pregnant over the course of a year.
What are the popular types?
The most popular types include the Today sponge, the Pharmatex sponge, and the Protectaid sponge.
6. Contraceptive Diaphragms
Also known as: diaphragms
What is it?
Diaphragms are another contraceptive barrier method that is made with latex or silicone, and often contain spermicide. They are inserted inside the vagina before sex to prevent sperm from entering the cervix. They come in different sizes to accommodate different vaginas. A doctor does not need to prescribe this usage.
How effective is it?
About six out of every one hundred women will become pregnant by the end of the year if they consistently use diaphragms in a proper manner during intercourse. They are not effective at preventing STDs.
What are the popular types?
Caya, Milex, and Ortho are the most purchased brands of contraceptive diaphragms.
7. Cervical Caps
Also known as: caps
What is it?
Caps are small, bowl-shaped contraceptives that are made of silicone and contain spermicide. They are inserted into the vagina, over the cervix, before intercourse to prevent pregnancy. They also have straps for easy removal. A doctor does not need to prescribe this usage.
How effective is it?
Nine in one hundred women who use cervical caps for every sexual interaction they have will become pregnant by the end of the first year, if they use cervical caps properly. Caps do not provide protection against STDs.
What are the popular types?
The FemCap is the only cervical cap available in the United States for the time being.
8. Condoms
Also known as… oh, come on, we all know them as condoms.
What is it?
Condoms are made of a thin layer of rubber, plastic, or latex. The man will put the condom over his penis before intercourse, and to be effective, it is to be worn throughout. A doctor does not need to prescribe this usage.
How effective is it?
If condoms are put on properly, only two in every one hundred women will get pregnant by the end of the year. However, this is only a correct statistic if they use condoms properly during every sexual encounter. They also are highly effective at preventing STD transmission.
What are the popular types?
The most popular latex condoms include Trojans, Durex, Lifestyle, and Kimono condoms. Lifestyle and Trojan also make specialty types that are not made of latex, for people who experience allergies.
9. Female Condoms
Also known as: alternative to male condoms
What is it?
Like the male condom, the female condoms are made of thing layers of rubber, plastic, or latex. The women will insert the female condom into her vagina before intercourse, and will wear in throughout. A doctor does not need to prescribe this usage.
How effective is it?
For women who use these condoms for every sexual encounter, it is highly unlikely that they will contract an STD. Additionally, only five of them out of one hundred will become pregnant by the end of the year.
What are the popular types?
Durex, Trojan, Okamoto, and Reality are the most popular female condom brands.
10. Birth Control Patch
Also known as: The Patch
What is it?
Birth control patches are thin, plastic patches that are stuck to an area of skin. They contain hormones—most commonly a combination of progestin and estrogen—to prevent pregnancy. The patch is placed onto the skin once a week for three weeks, followed by a week without the patch. The time that the patch should be worn depends on doctor’s recommendation and the directions that come with the patch. A doctor needs to prescribe it in order for you to obtain it.
How effective is it?
Less than one in one hundred women will get pregnant at the end of the year if they use the patch as instructed. If they do not use the patch as instructed, about nine in one hundred women will get pregnant each year. They are completely ineffective at preventing STD transmission.
What are the popular types?
Currently, Ortha Evra is the only birth control patch available in the US.
11. Contraceptive Shot
Also known as: The Shot, Depo
What is it?
The shot is an injection that contains progestin. To use this form of birth control, the shot should be injected every three months. This needs to be prescribed by a doctor.
How effective is it?
If injected precisely every three months, about three in every one thousand women will become pregnant in the first year; however, there is no difference in rate of pregnancy if not used exactly. It does not prevent STDs.
What are the popular types?
The only type of shot that is available in the US for the time being is Depo-Provera.
12. Emergency Contraception
Also known as: Backup Plan
What is it?
If you engaged in intercourse without what you felt to be adequate protection, you can take emergency contraception within seventy-two hours. It is a pill that you swallow once, and it prevents pregnancy either by interfering with egg fertilization, or changing the uterine lining so that the egg cannot implant.
It is not the same as an abortion pill, as it does not cause a miscarriage: this is because it does not stop fetal development if it effectively attaches to the uterine lining. You do not need the use of a doctor to obtain emergency contraception.
How effective is it?
If emergency contraception is taken within 72 hours of improperly protected intercourse, only eleven in every one hundred women will become pregnant. If taken within 24 hours, only five in every one hundred women will become pregnant. This backup plan should NOT be taken as a regular form of birth control, as it can effect your reproductive system over time. You can take it more than once, if necessary. It cannot prevent STDs.
What are the popular types?
The common types are Plan B, Next Step, and Levonorgestrel Tablets.
While these birth control possibilities have varying levels of efficacy, double up is worth considering. You should talk to your partner about which options work best for your sex life. Remember, friends, safer sex is better sex.
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