Here is a list of most preferred contraception methods being used globally; discover which birth control method is best for you.
BIRTH CONTROL PILL
The pill is a pill. It is also called oral contraception. You take it once a day, at the same time every day. There are lots of different kinds of pills on the market. It works by releasing hormones that keep your ovaries from releasing eggs. The hormones also thicken your cervical mucus which helps to block sperm from getting to the egg.
CONDOM
Condoms are one of the most popular forms of birth control. They slip over the penis to prevent pregnancy and lower the risk of STIs by keeping sperm inside the condom and out of the vagina. Condoms come in hundreds of shapes and sizes, with lube and without.
INTERNAL CONDOM
An internal condom – also called the female condom – is a pouch you insert into your vagina. It is a method that gives you lots of control and works the same way that ordinary condoms do except that you wear it on the inside instead of sticking it on a penis. It keeps sperm inside the condom and out of your vagina.
INTRAUTERINE DEVICE
The IUD is a little, t-shaped piece of plastic that gets put in your uterus to confuse the way sperms move and prevent them from fertilizing an egg. IUDs offer years of protection – from three to twelve years depending on the type you get. If you want to get pregnant, you can have the IUD removed at any time.
IMPLANT
The implant is a tiny rod that’s inserted under the skin of your upper arm. It’s so small, most people can’t see it once it’s inserted. The implant releases progestin, a hormone that keeps your ovaries from releasing eggs and thickens your cervical mucus, which helps block sperm from getting to the egg. It prevents pregnancy for up to five years.
DIAPHRAGM
A diaphragm is a shallow, dome-shaped cup made of silicone. You insert the diaphragm into your vagina. Then it covers your cervix and keeps sperm out of your uterus. For a diaphragm to work effectively, you need to use it with spermicide.
CERVICAL CAP
A cervical cap is a silicone cup you insert in your vagina to cover your cervix and keep sperm out of your uterus. You need to use a cervical cap with spermicide for it to be most effective.
BIRTH CONTROL SHOT
Once you get it, your birth control is covered for three full months and you have to do nothing else. It is commonly called Depo, short for Depo-Provera. The shot contains progestin, a hormone that prevents your ovaries from releasing eggs. It also thickens your cervical mucus, which helps block sperm from getting to the egg.
BIRTH CONTROL RING
The ring is a small, bendable ring that you insert into your vagina. You leave it in place for three weeks at a time, then take it out for the fourth week. The ring works by giving off hormones that prevent your ovaries from releasing eggs. The hormones also thicken your cervical mucus which helps to block sperm from getting to the egg.
BIRTH CONTROL PATCH
The patch is a thin piece of plastic that looks like a Band-Aid. Its little less than two inches across. You stick the patch on your skin and it gives off hormones that prevent your ovaries from releasing eggs. The hormones also thicken your cervical mucus which helps to block sperm from getting to the egg.
BIRTH CONTROL SPONGE
The sponge is a round piece of white plastic foam with a little dimple on one side and a nylon loop across the top. It’s just two inches across and you insert it way up in your vagina before you have sex. The sponge works in two ways: It blocks your cervix to keep sperm from getting into your uterus, and it continuously releases spermicide.
SPERMICIDE
Spermicide describes a bunch of different creams, films, foams, gels, and suppositories that contain chemicals that stop sperm from moving. You insert it deep in your vagina so it also keeps sperm from getting through your cervix and into your uterus.
NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING
Fertility awareness-based methods or natural family planning are about tracking your menstrual cycle to determine the days that you can get pregnant. To do that, you need to pay very close attention to your body and its patterns.
WITHDRAWAL METHOD
Withdrawal is the oldest form of birth control on the planet. Simply said, the guy pulls out before he ejaculates. It is also termed the pull-out method, or coitus interruptus. But you have to do it right every single time for withdrawal to be effective.
STERILISATION
Steriliswation is a procedure that closes or blocks your fallopian tubes so you can’t get pregnant. Guys also have a sterilization option called vasectomy which blocks the tubes that carry a man’s sperm. It’s more effective than female sterilization.
NOT RIGHT NOW
Not right now is a way of saying ‘no vaginal sex’.
EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION
Emergency Contraception can stop a pregnancy before it starts. It is not the same as the abortion pill. There are four types of EC to choose from and they all work up to five days or 120 hours after unprotected sex. Use it sooner rather than later to reduce the possibility of getting pregnant.
