Home Health Center Birth Control   Choosing the Right Birth Control Method

Choosing the Right Birth Control Method


Deciding to have sex is all about making choices. We not only choose our partners but also when one is ready to have children and how one does copulate in the safest possible manner. Choosing the right birth control is essential for your health, safety and preventing unwanted pregnancies. With the wide range of options now available, you need to find the method that is the most comfortable for you and one which you can use consistently and safely at all times. Following are some pointers to consider before making your decision:

  • Are you at ease with this particular method? If it’s not comfortable for you to use, it won’t work for you in the long-term.
  • Will this method cause discomfort for you or your partner? If the side effects of a particular method are too many or too strong, it may be time to switch to another method.
  • How important is it that your contraceptive method also protects you against sexually transmitted diseases? In cases where the couples are monogamous, this is not so much of an issue as compared to single men and women who have multiple sex partners.
  • How important is convenience to you? Methods like the pill require discipline and commitment to be effective. On the other hand an IUD or an implant offers a worry-free solution over a longer period of time.
  • Do you want to have children in the future? Then permanent birth control methods such as tubal ligation or a vasectomy is not recommended.
  • How would you deal with an unplanned pregnancy? If it has the potential to complete devastate your life, choose a highly effective birth control method. Alternatively, if an unplanned pregnancy would not cause that much of upset, less reliable methods with fewer side effects or complications can be considered.
  • Is expense a factor in your decision? Condoms are the least expensive of birth control options if this is the case.
  • Do your religious beliefs govern your choice of birth control? This may mean limiting your choices to only natural birth control methods.
  • Are you in good physical health? Certain types of birth control such as the pill can cause severe health risks and complications for women, who suffer from high blood pressure, are more vulnerable to cancer, and who smoke. Check with your doctor about potential risks involved with the birth control of your choice.

Side Effects
Birth Control
Frequently asked questions
References
  1. Vivian Brache, Luis José Payán, Aníbal Faundes, Current status of contraceptive vaginal rings, Contraception, Volume 87, Issue 3, March 2013, Pages 264-272, ISSN 0010-7824, 10.1016/j.contraception.2012.08.037.
  2. Terri L. Walsh, Ron G. Frezieres, Karen Peacock, Anita L. Nelson, Virginia A. Clark, Leslie Bernstein, Brian G.D. Wraxall, Effectiveness of the male latex condom: combined results for three popular condom brands used as controls in randomized clinical trials, Contraception, Volume 70, Issue 5, November 2004, Pages 407-413, ISSN 0010-7824, 10.1016/j.contraception.2004.05.008.